Love That Should
by KuroNekoFangirl
Summary: Gokudera confessed to Haru. Now, she has to deal with raging fangirls, a jealous stalker, and a jilted mother along with a relationship with someone completely different from herself. So...now what? Side story: A Christmas With You. Second Side Story: A Kiss at Midnight.
1. Be Honest

**Description: Haru Miura is having a terrible time. Not only did her confession to Tsunayoshi Sawada fail, but her father left her and her mother and has sworn off men until the end of time. So when stoic Hayato Gokudera surprises her with a confession, her life suddenly is turned upside down: raging fangirls, a jealous stalker, and not to mention her mother, what's a girl to do but follow her heart?**

**From: Katekyo Hitman Reborn**  
><strong>Pairings mentioned: TsunaxKyoko, GokuderaxHaru, YamamotoxChrome and various OCs. <strong>

**Note: This is set in their High School years and has nothing really related to the story or anime line. The characters are not mine, I'm simply using them in a story. Enjoy!**

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><p>It started like any normal High School romance should. A confession on the rooftop.<p>

It just wasn't mine.

I was dumbfounded. "What?" My hoarse voice asked, staring in disbelief at my so-called crusher.

Hayato Gokudera. A plus student, notoriously tardy, and a known delinquent with supposedly dyed silver hair and skull rings and necklaces decorating his lean form, shuffled under my shocked gaze. "I…I…said…" He stuttered so uncharacteristically that I almost laughed. "…I said I like you! A-and…" The boy whipped his head away, a pink flush rising over his cheek. "…A-and I…I want you…to go out…with me…" He crossed his arms like he normally does when he's embarrassed and kept his head away, watching me from one corner of his eye.

It was…shocking to say the least. I mean, yesterday I thought this guy hated my guts and we would never get along. Ever. And yet today he's looking at me with a deep blush staining his supposedly impenetrable poker face. Yesterday this guy was considered the poster-boy for all the wrongdoings in the world, and yet was now facing me, fists in his pockets, looking like a kicked puppy.

Was this another way to torture me? To rub in my face the fact that my long term love had chosen my best friend over me? Gokudera did belong to Tsuna's posse after all. But then again, Tsuna had never been the kind to be cruel.

It must have been a prank of his own design, I decided. Well, shame on him. But I wasn't going to fall for his stupid joke. This was something a man would do anyway.

Gokudera cocked his head slightly, obviously attempting to read my mind. "…Um…are, are you okay?"

I snapped back to reality, shaking off a twinge of something indescribable. "Yeah. Yes, I'm alright."  
>"Good." He shuffled, looking at anything but me. He settled for staring at his shoes while I waited for the punch line to occur. Where was the fanfare and the "Psyche!"?<p>

He slowly rolled his eyes back to my face, gaging my reaction like I did a few months back with a different person. "…So…wh-what do you think?" That desperate sound in his voice rattled me somewhat, and I had to take a moment to regain my senses before answering.

I sighed and turned away and made a beeline for the door. "Sorry, but I'm not interested in anyone right now. I don't want a relationship, and I don't feel like being tricked."

"Tricked?" Though my back was turned away, I could hear the confusion in his voice. "Who's tricking you?"  
>"You are obviously."<p>

"What?"

I grasped the doorknob to the rooftop and briskly opened it before I turned back to face Gokudera's stunned one. "It's just…you and I have never gotten along. Why now, all of a sudden, hm? I don't need unnecessary stress in my life. So I guess…thank you, but no thank you." I was out the door before I could hear the pitiful attempt to get me to stay and hear him out. Much more professional than the last time I was there at least…

* * *

><p>"And so, if we look across the board to the second slide, many early historians believe that the fall of Rome may have been attributed to more than just Caesar's death…"<p>

My pencil scratched along my textbook quickly, not writing down anything my droning teacher said or doodling along the corner like I normally did. I hated to admit it, but the earlier confession set me back from my normal, blank routine. For some reason, I just couldn't bring myself to concentrate.

I dazed in and out of consciousness, focusing on random conversations buzzing around me unbeknownst to the teacher now talking drivel about the economy of Rome. One girl was excited because her boyfriend had promised to take her to the drive-in movie theater later that night and her friends praised her for her gusto and wished her luck. Another guy was boasting how he had broken some unknown girl's heart after a confession earlier that week and was giving a grueling description of her teary face. And another girl was complaining about her father not giving her enough money to pay for the large shopping trip she and her girlfriends had planned for the end of the week.

My pencil slipped from my fingers and clattered to the desk, forgotten. My gaze then became fixed on the scenery through the window, wishing I was a bird so I could fly myself out of here. No homework, no snotty foolish kids, and least of all no men. I could be a dove, or even an ibis. I would love to be an ibis. Ibises are beautiful, and I read a story about one last year. It was sad and lonely, and I vowed I wanted to be the ibis's friend.

Now I suddenly felt as alone as him.

My ears then became attuned to another conversation and my blood ran cold. My head jerked around when I heard giggling in the back of the room. I knew that giggling. It was the same giggle that my best friend possessed and the same low chortle that had me fall head over heels for my first love.

Kyoko tousled his soft brown hair, something that I had always dreamed of doing, touching a thin finger to his golden iris and outlining his long eyelashes. Tsuna then reached a strong hand behind her head and neck, over her pale cheek, caressing her cheekbone and kissing her honey-brown temple above a chocolate brown eyeball.

Their heads were bowed together, eyelashes almost touching. They giggled again about something incoherent and Tsuna brushed a hand across her petite one.

My mouth became dry as they both leaned into each other. I tried to keep my face blank as they gazed at each other lovingly, but even I couldn't help a small squeak as their lips met, eyes closed.

Kyoko Sasagawa. My best friend.

Tsunayoshi Sawada. My first love.

Together. In love.

It dug into my skin like a hot knife, and I couldn't bring myself to keep watching. I quickly turned away, nails digging into my fisted palms. A tear slipped onto my knuckles and I quickly brushed it away before anyone could notice.

Men. Why could anyone trust them?

* * *

><p>A few months ago, my father left. In all the years that I'd been alive, I never told my father I hated him. Not once. And yet, in the split second he chose his breasty, slutty office clerk over my mom and me, I found myself blurting out the words "You two-faced ass! I'll hate you forever!" with my chest heaving and tears overflowing.<p>

I hadn't seen him since. And I wasn't about to let Mom's mistake be mine, no matter all the begging in the world.

Tsuna was my first and only love. Ever since the day he had saved me from drowning in the river, I knew I was destined to be by his side. I prepared myself to be the best wife I could be for him. I gave up my career goals to follow him to High School and be with him and his friends. I no longer wanted to be a daycare manager or a fashion designer or a folklorist; I wanted to be a mafia boss's wife.

And yet, when I confessed a few months into the fall term, Tsuna told me his choice. My bronzed hero wanted my bronze-haired best friend.

Suddenly, everything I had worked so hard for became worthless. What was the point of going to Italian class if I was never going to use the _linguaggio_? Why did I need to learn to cook if Tsuna was never going to eat a bite of it? Who needs political science if there was never going to be any chance for me to deal with international issues? (Not that I minded it too much, I hated political science.)

I stopped bothering and just started existing.

What was worse, Kyoko and Tsuna were together all of the time. No matter where I went with one, the other would follow. Because surprisingly enough, Kyoko had wanted Tsuna too. I suffered through stifling lunchtimes when Kyoko would hand feed Tsuna her homemade bento in front of me. I tolerated weekly study groups with everyone, pretending not to see Kyoko and Tsuna's interlocked hands under the table. And then I stopped going to PE class because I couldn't stand near them without them sharing a kiss or two.

I slowly began drifting. And I allowed myself to stop caring.

Because who would love leftovers anyway?

* * *

><p>"Gokudera didn't show up after lunch today." Tsuna announced, slinging his bag over his shoulder as soon as the teacher packed up his things and left when the dismissal bell rang.<p>

Kyoko glanced over at his empty seat with a look of surprise. "Gosh, you're right. I hope everything's alright."

I slowly dragged my chair back into its place, attempting not to care. So what if the guy who confessed to me didn't come back to class. It wasn't my fault or anything. It was his own choice to confess to me. I just told him the truth, instead of some stupid mumbo jumbo about lack of commitment. I kept him from being hurt too much anyway.

I harrumphed and strode towards the doorway.

"Wait, Haru!" I froze when I heard Kyoko's sweet voice calling to me from across the classroom. "Don't you want to come with us to Buttercup Bakery? We haven't gone together in such a long time!"

Kyoko knew my weakness. It had been months since I had treated myself to my favorite cake from my favorite bakery. The last time I was there, we celebrated all of us getting into the same High School and I had spent the entire time pondering how I was going to confess to Tsuna. Now, the thought brought a sinking feeling to my stomach.

I forced a smile on my face as I turned around. "Sorry but I have some chores to do today. You guys go have fun and eat some for me!"

Kyoko's sweet face fell at my words, and I felt another twinge of guilt. I almost reconsidered but she seemed to recover and smiled back in response. "Oh…sure…I suppose…" She replied, a hint of regret staining her words.

I turned and quickly ran out before anyone else caught me. I zoomed past the other students, trying to ignore the fact that I saw Tsuna sneak a hand around Kyoko's waist in comfort. By the time I reached the shoe lockers, I was about ready to cry inanely. Somehow I managed to calm myself enough to approach my locker.

All calm flew out the window as soon as I realized that Hayato Gokudera was waiting for me, blocking the way.

I screamed and jumped backwards, shocked at his presence.

He arched an eyebrow and rolled a blue-green eyeball at me. "Now you know how I felt this morning," He grumbled, shifting himself against the wall of lockers and blockading mine. "Now you have to listen to me."

I found myself growling lowly and glaring daggers at him. "And I thought I told you this morning, I don't feel like being tricked. Now get out of my way."

He didn't move. "Why are you so certain that I'm trying to hurt you?"  
>"Oh, you mean it's something new?"<p>

"If you actually stopped to get to know me better—"

"What, do I have to follow you to prison now?"

"I've never been to prison!"

"Oh sure, I believe that."

Gokudera fisted his hair and sucked in a deep breath, apparently attempting to calm himself. "…Look. I just wanted you to know how I felt about you. You seemed so down recently, I thought I could help."

I'll admit, I did falter at his words. Then I got angry. "How many times have you used that line, huh?"

"Never! I'm being honest here!"

"And so am I. When I said this morning that I didn't want you, I meant it." With every word, I found myself inching forward and pushing him back against the wall until we were nose to nose. "I don't need a boyfriend, I don't need a boy who's a friend; I don't need any boys!" His face was in a mask of shock as I stood there, huffing and puffing until I regained my breath. After a moment, I slowly backed off him.

"So that's it." I growled, pushing him away from my locker. I briskly opened the door and yanked my school shoes off my feet. I plopped myself down onto the ground, yanking on my sneakers. Gokudera wasn't as shell-shocked as before, placing himself against the lockers again until I stood up and brushed off my skirt.

I sighed, glancing back to his blank face slightly wondering if I hurt him too badly. Cursing my instinctually kind side, I quickly shrugged it off as nothing of my concern and turned towards the door.

"…Want me to give you a lift?"

Two inches away from the door, I exhaled in annoyance. "What did I just say?"

"I just thought since the school was so out of your way you might want a ride instead of walking all the way back." He shrugged awkwardly, fists in his leather jacket. "Just…something nice, not…romantic or anything."

I frowned. "But you have a motorbike, right? I don't know if I can ride that thing…" I blinked, surprised at my own words. "I-if I actually wanted a stupid ride from you!" I sputtered, pink spilling over my face.

Gokudera snorted and chuckled. My eyes widened at the rare sight of a small smile growing over cool-Gokudera's face. "Believe me, anybody can ride my bike." He strode up to me, bumping his nose with mine as he towered a good foot over my silly 5'2" frame. "If they actually wanted a stupid ride from me anyway." He grinned as mischievously as the Cheshire cat from picture books, his steely blue-green eyes giving away nothing.

Before I could even respond, Gokudera walked away. He bent over his denim messenger bag and rummaged around inside. When he stood back up, he produced a bright cherry red helmet with a tornado drawn on the side and held it out to me. "So…a stupid five minute ride from me or you can walk a twenty minute walk home. Your choice."

I growled and gave him my best glare. There was absolutely no way I was going to give this stupid bastard the satisfaction of controlling me, even if the idea of shaving about fifteen minutes off my commute sounded extremely good.

* * *

><p>I winced as I managed to slide onto the cold metal of Gokudera's bike, attempting to straddle the thin seat. My breath felt constricted in the tight confines of the black and red helmet covering my face and ears. In every sense of the word, I stewed in anger as Gokudera fastened my and his schoolbag onto the cargo hold. Inside, I was freaking in both fear and slight excitement.<p>

"Alright, she's set." He slammed the lid shut with a bang, making the vehicle shudder under me. I gripped the metal desperately, afraid for my life. My ears burned with embarrassment as Gokudera's soft laugh drifted over the helmet's padding.

"It's not gonna buck you off you know." He called out, unpeeling my fingers from the vehicle's frame. My eyes clenched shut as I was forced upwards and the vehicle shuddered once again as extra weight was added.

Then the strangest thing occurred. My hands wrapped around something warm and muscled. I was pulled forward and my nose met the most pleasant and tantalizing smell. I recognized it as cigarettes and orange spices, my two secret favorite smells. As I began breathing in the scent, I thought back on my childhood memories as I grew up popping little orange mints from my father's pocket into my mouth whenever no one was looking, just for the pleasure of the tingle it left in my mouth afterwards. Cigarette smoke reminded me of my elderly grandfather who enjoyed fine cigars and taught me the ways of a connoisseur before passing away quietly in his sleep some years before.

These smells invaded my nose with every breath and I found myself snuggling into the source. I was vaguely aware of a rumbling beneath me but I did feel a rush of wind hit my face suddenly. My eyes flew open as the vehicle made a slow turn at a crowded intersection. I gripped the unknown thing tighter and let out a muffled scream from inside the helmet.

"Ouch…you don't need to hold me so hard! I'm even going slower than usual!" Gokudera's voice drifted to my ears over the low sound of an engine. I froze, looking down at my hands. I nearly screeched again, realizing the warm, sweet-smelling thing that I had been grasping so desperately was Gokudera's middle.

Before I had known it, Gokudera had started the bike and was making the slow journey down the road to my house. His silver hair was whipping around in all directions and he was sternly focused on the road ahead. It was almost beautiful. Too bad I was too terrified to truly enjoy it.

I clenched my eyes shut again. "Slow down, slow down!" I screeched, subconsciously pressing against his back in comfort.

"I can't! This is as slow as I can go, and this is ten miles slower than the speed limit I'll have you know! People in cars have been passing us!"

"Slow downnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!" I continued to whine. Gokudera only laughed and cranked the throttle.

It was a smooth ride, I'll admit. I definitely could tell that Gokudera slowed down some more on the road even though he said he didn't. At one point, I even decided to be brave and to move myself enough to peer over his shoulder while he was stopped at a stoplight. A secret thrill creeped up my back with the realization that I was surviving on a motorcycle despite the driver. The moment Gokudera moved again, however, I eeped and disappeared into his back.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, I felt the vehicle shudder and slow to a stop with a thump as Gokudera's foot caught the ground. He pulled my arms off his torso and dismounted. My eyes were still tightly shut but I eventually willed them open.

I blinked several times before allowing Gokudera's hands to guide me off the bike. The moment I touched the ground, I fell to my knees thanking whatever god was watching that I was alive. I even raked my fingers through the lush grass like a madwoman.

Gokudera watched me with a grin and a chuckle. "One would think you've never seen ground before Miura. Funny." He walked over to me and helped pull the tight helmet off my head.

I sighed with relief at being able to breathe again. I shook out my hair from my high ponytail and ran my fingers through like a comb before letting it tumble down past my ears. It was then that I noticed Gokudera still staring at me. "What?" I asked, concerned.

"Nothing." He mumbled, turning away embarrassed. "Just…looking. You have…nice hair…"

I blinked and flushed as his words stuck at my heart. I pulled my hair away from my shoulders into one bunch off to the side in embarrassment. I couldn't even face him as he handed me my schoolbag.

Suddenly, something clicked.

"…Miura?"

"Huh?" He questioned, turning around.

"You…you called me Miura."

"Yeah." He said, crossing his arms and giving me a 'duh' look. "It's your name."

"Yes, but…you never called me it. Ever. You either referred to me as 'one of the girls' or 'Stupid Woman'." I corrected. "Why did you call me that?"

Gokudera shrugged, grabbing the helmet and slipping it over his head. "I just thought, even though you said you didn't need a boyfriend, I could just treat you as a friend first." He said, straddling his bike again. "Believe me Miura, I know what it's like feeling like an outcast. But I care about you so I guess I just don't want you to feel like one." He gave me another rare Gokudera smile, along with an unusual look that I'd never seen before. Before I could say anything, he started up the bike and whirled the throttle.

"Have a good day." He said briskly while hiding another pink flush, quickly driving away obviously much faster than he had been with me. My eyes followed him down the street until he disappeared out of sight. Then, automatically like a robot, I went to my bag and fished out my house keys. After jiggling them in the lock, I opened the door and stepped inside my house.

I went to the kitchen and grasped a speckled banana, peeling it. I bit into the fruit, chewing slowly as I checked my phone for messages. Kyoko sent me pictures of my favorite cake, Chrome sent me a message using Yamamoto's phone saying that she wished I had come, and my mom called to tell me she was going to be late from work.

I went to the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of orange juice. Banana, juice, and schoolbag carefully balanced, I made my way to my room like normal. The moment I shut the door, I squealed in excitement and happiness. I dropped the banana and juice on my bed as I danced around in excitement for some reason that I absolutely could not understand.

After my crazy dance, I finally collapsed onto the bed, exhausted. My throat was dry, and not just because I had spent most of the ride screeching at Gokudera to slow down.

The look he had given me before he drove away remain etched in my mind as though he was simply on pause. For several hours after he had driven away, Gokudera did circles in mind replaying our conversations over and over until I was almost sick of it.

What was I thinking? He was the enemy! Had I not vowed some hours before that I would never, ever submit to him? Men were the reason for my misery. Men were the reason that my mother was a broken down shell of what she used to be.

I frowned, finally calming myself down. Now that I had my priorities straight, I went back to normal routine with diligence. I sat down at my desk and flicked on my lamp and opened my textbook. However, Gokudera's face continued to flood my mind and before I knew it, I was doodling nonsense drawings that were supposed to look like his stupid face.

When my mom called me down for dinner, I had not made a dent in my homework. I glared at my perfect drawing of Stupid Face Gokudera and vowed I would never get anything done with him staring at me like a big fat idiot. I crumpled up the paper and tossed it in the trash with renewed vigor to never submit to the enemy ever again for as long as I lived.

And yet, for some reason, I still couldn't get the smell of cigarettes and orange spice out of my nose.


	2. Be Thoughtful

**Wow, so many reviews in the past week! I was really honored to receive all the messages I recieved, especially those that said I was amazing and refreshing and great. **

**It really is great to get such...really kind reviews actually. I had stayed away from for a while becuase I had gotten a bad review on a story I had written and I lost my self-confidence. Thank you for every kind thing you have said to me and I hope to continue hearing from you all. So...read and review and enjoy!**

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><p>A restless night's sleep, a dream with whirl-winding colors so fast I don't even remember the true premise of, and I awoke in my room with giant bags under my eyes and a grouch on my face. This was the ultimate sign that my life had reached an ultimate low. And it was all stupid Gokudera's fault.<p>

I threw on my uniform and covered my pink face in a veil of makeup and bounded down the stairs to catch breakfast before my mother left for her jobs.

* * *

><p>After my dad left, Mom fell apart. Our life went on a steady decline as she developed a sort of comatose state of depression that spanned even into her work life. After a few weeks of simply stumbling through her shift, her boss decided he was out of sympathy. And when she cost the company a really important job, he lost it and yelled "Haruko! For the last time, your husband left you a month ago! Can't you wake up, if not for this job, then at least for your daughter?"<p>

Needless to say, Mom quit her job. Eventually, she did wake up from her reverie only to realize that she needed to pay our house bill or else we would be evicted for certain. She didn't want me to have to work, so instead she applied endlessly to every available place she could find. A meager waitress's tips weren't exactly enough to pay for our mortgage, but it was a start.

Every morning, my mom woke up at five thirty in the morning looking for new jobs in a pink and yellow bathrobe and blue fuzzy bunny slippers. Afterwards she stumbled into the kitchen and feebly attempted to make a breakfast before I would wake up and take the spoon from her. I combed her bobbed brown hair and kissed her pale cheek goodbye after putting together our lunches. She then headed off to our neighborhood grocery store and plucked bad heads of lettuce from the vegetable tray and got felt up by her greasy, slimy manager before stealing an hour to sit down and eat. After that, she traveled across town on a rickety old bus to the sleazy side of town and spent the rest of the day serving beers with deep fried appetizers and getting hit on by half-drunk bikers before waving a taxi home well after dark. She slugged herself to bed for three hours before waking up and doing it all over again.

Even though people say she was a nervous wreck, I liked to think that there were some remains of her upbeat, free spirited soul. I saw it sometimes when she stirred omelets in the frying pan on our tiny stove when I stepped off the staircase and creeped around the corner before she would see me. I even could catch a rare smile, and not the one she forced on her face when she sees me. I then could see the beautiful woman that my father fell in love with from high school, the girl that was voted "going to go places".

But then reality hit when we heard the sound of crinkling electric, water, and phone bills hitting the carpeted floor as it fell through the mail slot. And then we'd go back into our normal lives.

* * *

><p>That day was one of her better days. She'd either gotten good news at one of her jobs or she managed to find another, better one down the road. She could barely summon enough energy to hold the spoon long enough to stir the frying egg around in the pan, but she still was smiling and humming when I came down to relieve her from her duty.<p>

I bustled about, finishing the meal, invigorated by how happy she seemed. "There's something in the air Haru." She murmured at one point, tapping her finger against the table.

I placed a bowl of rice porridge in front of her. "How do you figure? Anything good to report?" I asked lightly, not willing to spoil her happy demeanor.

It seemed to work, because she giggled and said "Oh, I don't know. I just have a feeling." Her fork spiraled about in the eggy center.

"On a job?" I questioned again, handing her a cup of coffee. She lived on it these days.

"Possibly." She sipped it carefully, like the queenly woman I always knew her to be. "Mr. Yukino said there is a possibility for me to make manager sometime soon." She grinned widely over her mug. "I do hope so. I've been putting in a little more overtime than usual just for that purpose."

I held back a grimace. Even I knew that Mr. Yukino was more than just a pig. He was a lying pig. He would never give a person a job they so obviously deserve. His game was toying with other coworkers' feelings and dangling something like a promotion over their heads before yanking it away in a dramatic fashion. He was all too unwilling to let a plaything like my mother slip out under him into a position of higher power.

I forced a smile on my face. "Good for you." I lied, mentally reminding myself to snap up another job opportunity across town just in case everything went down in flames.

We ate the rest of the meal in silence, and I quickly scrubbed the dishes as she showered. When I was done bustling around getting ready for school, I snapped up my bag. I tried to ignore the smell of motor oil and oranges seeping from the insides, and readied myself for another day of school, including facing the person I was avoiding the most. I bounded toward the door when the clock struck 5:24 and grabbed my shoes.

"Haru?"

I stopped, unusual in my routine for Mom to call me like that. I turned back to face her in socked feet. "Yes?" I asked sweetly, nervous.

Her face was stoic. "…Misaki's mother called me just now…" She said slowly, almost watching my reaction for tell-alls. "…She said Misaki saw you talking to a boy."

I froze. I forgot that Misaki and her mom were the gossip queens of the stupid neighborhood.

"And then she said you got on a motorcycle with him-?"

"Mom, it's not what you think!" I interrupted, thinking fast. "I…I asked him for the ride! It was…it was raining…he was the only one…who was there…" I lied. I immediately felt guilty for it, seeing my mother's face fall like it did. Since Dad left, it was my sworn duty to make her happy and lies were never her favorite thing since their relationship was sorely based on one.

But it saved her from the alternative. Since having to deal with the divorce was trying enough, she didn't need to bear the weight of her daughter having a stalker too. I'll talk to him, I decided. I can't have him hanging around and scaring her like this.

Mom's face softened some. "Well…I guess I'm glad you made the alternative choice. But honey, next time, please just take the bus."

I laughed hollowly. "Trust me Mom, it won't happen again."

And I swear I meant it.

At least, for two or three more minutes until I had walked out the door and saw Hayato Gokudera waiting at the gate.

I screamed, jumping backwards again, not unlike the day before. My bag crashed to my feet with a loud thump, and my stalker picked it up slowly. He presented it to me on a bent crooked finger, swaying in the light cool air. "Gotta stop meeting like this." He joked, attempting a light atmosphere.

As usual, I didn't bite. I growled and snatched my bag from his grasp. "I didn't ask for your help. And what is with your obsession with giving me heart attacks?" I snarled, stomping my way down the path and out the gate.

He followed me. "I'm here to pick you up." He offered lightly, almost smug.

I puffed and groaned as I turned to face his stupid grin. "Are you kidding me? Was I not clear yesterday? I don't want to be friends with you. At all. Let alone be your stupid trophy girlfriend."

He frowned and slowly trudged forward with blue green converse sneakers with purpose. "…Who said anything about trophies? I just want the chance to take you to school. And maybe back because it will kill my conscience to let a girl walk all the way back and forth all the time."

I rolled my eyes. "Well the last thing I would want to do is kill your conscience." I mocked. "Save the pity. I'm fine."

As I turned away again, Gokudera rushed forward and blocked my path. He stuck his arm out and slammed it against a gray brick wall, determinedly looking me in the eye. "…All I'm asking is that you give me half a chance." He murmured, giving me another rare serious Gokudera look. And I don't mean the one that says 'bite me' to our homeroom teacher each day. "I just want to prove to you that I can be honestly serious about something. That's all."

I studied his face. I realized quickly that there was no trace of the same lingering shame that my father developed as he asked me to live with him and Yoite. Gokudera was looking at me with a face I had never seen before. Serious eyes and an honest stare that I sometimes saw when he fought a particularly hard battle.

I gulped. There was no hesitation. My conscience flew out the window in a matter of moments. "…Sure. I guess it wouldn't hurt…"

The moment the words left my mouth, I didn't regret them. His face lit up like a child getting his favorite toy and I caught a glimpse of a rare smile sprouting on his face. He bounded off toward his discarded messenger bag, digging through until he uncovered his favorite cherry red helmet. He presented it to me smugly before I snatched it out of his hands.

Well, I decided as he helped me slip it over my pink face, the worst thing that could happen now is a little bit of helmet hair.

* * *

><p>This ride was smoother than the day before. I even managed to keep one eye open as we sped along the road that led to school. As I clutched onto him, I could hear Gokudera humming some unknown song under his breath. I could even almost hear the smile in his voice.<p>

He was growing up, I realized. He wasn't just the reckless, quick to argue guy I knew in Middle School. Gokudera had matured. I couldn't help breathing in his husky scent. It was slightly different with the smell of overpriced, day-old convenience store sushi and gunpowder highlighting his wrinkled uniform, of course making my nose crumple, but the overall aroma remained the same. The one that I would never admit stuck with me even in my dreams the night before.

The school grounds were deserted as we drove up the gated path. I dismounted unceremoniously but with a better landing than yesterday. Gokudera grabbed my helmet at the same time I did, helping me out of it. His face was very close to mine and his eyes were saying something indescribable to me.

I got nervous and moved away quickly, snatching my bag from his hands and not looking straight into his face. I took off toward the school doors without a word.

"…That's it?"

Gokudera's voice drifted across the grounds, making me hesitate in my path. I turned around slowly, meeting his confused and hurt look.

He stepped forward. "…That's all? You're not even…going to thank me?" He asked lightly, almost like I had heartily offended him.

I stepped down off the stairway. "W-well…" I murmured. "I-I thought it was kinda obvious."

He frowned. "…Maybe so, but…" He walked up closer until we were almost nose to nose. "…I still appreciate some sort of gratitude. All things considered."

I gulped, nervous at the sudden closeness. I stepped back to calm myself from the awkward moment that was about to occur. I sighed, resigning myself. "So…what do you want me to say?"

Gokudera leaned against the side of the brick building like the delinquent everyone knew he was. "A thank you will be a good start." He stated as blankly as the look on his face.

I bit my lip, guilty. He was right, as much as I hated admitting it. I figured it would be worth thanking him for everything despite my adverse attitude. "…Thank you." I mumbled, pink staining my face dutifully giving him the gratification he deserved, thinking it would be enough.

Instead, he scoffed and shook his head annoyed. I growled and grew angry with indignation. "Alright, what was that for?" I ground out, my face hot.

"Um, I don't know, maybe for the stupidest lie ever?" Gokudera snapped. He crossed his arms and glared at me in disdain. Now who said he had grown up again?

"I was being honest!" I protested.

"So was I!" He argued back. "I told you my real feelings! I told you I wasn't trying to trick you!"

My eyes narrowed, my own words being turned against me. I felt my eye twitching. Everything I thought I buried in the back of my mind suddenly came boiling to the surface, every word I never said to my father, my mother, Tsuna, everyone exploded from subconscious and I ground out, "…And I did too. You are the last person in the world that I would ever want to be associated with, let alone date. Ever. You are a lazy, lying jerk, and nothing you can say will convince me you're worth giving a chance!" I finished, panting heavily.

In an instant, I realized I hurt him. The pain registering on his face made my heart break in compassion and almost made me rush forward to comfort him. I held myself back, thinking that I was strong enough to say no to my caring instincts. But the truth was there, undisguised. Impenetrable, unapproachable, unsocial Hayato Gokudera was offended. By something I said. I felt guilty, and it gnawed at my insides in an unsettling fashion.

He sighed dolefully. "…Really? Nothing I can do huh?" He questioned, smiling wistfully.

I sighed. "Yes."

"…Not at all?" He probed.

"Yes."

His smile disappeared and he stepped back, as though giving up. "…Ahuh. I see then…" He murmured. "I'm uh…I'm sorry that…you feel…that way…" Gokudera stepped back again staring at the ground stoically. After a long silent moment of deliberating something within himself, he turned away with great difficulty.

For some reason, I felt that guilty feeling grow stronger and the moment his back turned against me I exploded. "…Wait!"

He stopped short.

I realized my sudden actions and choked on my words. Gokudera turned back around, expectant but my voice was swallowed. My mouth grew dry as I attempted to squeeze some words out. "I-I!...I didn't mean—"

Gokudera sighed and smiled forlornly. "I've been called worse things Miura." He turned back away from me. "Don't be afraid of hurting my feelings."

"I-I just…!" I sighed again. "…I don't…trust people very well. The last person I trusted—

"—was Boss. I know." Gokudera finished, still turned away.

I smiled in spite of myself. "…The thing is…I just imagined that my first boyfriend would be…different. And my first date would be something a little more romantic than eating a few bugs on a motorcycle to and from school day after day." He seemed interested at this and slowly spun around to watch me carefully as I spoke. "…Probably a romantic dinner, light, polite conversation without me wanting to strangle him, and something magical to prove the night was worth it. And…when we say goodnight, even just a simple 'Goodnight Haru' would be enough for me because…because he would honestly mean it. I-I just want…" I trailed off, feeling slightly uncomfortable under his heavy gaze and I forced myself to keep talking to ignore it. I smiled wistfully. "…I want…the perfect first impression of the guy I like."

The silence afterwards was deafening. I couldn't even look Gokudera in the eye, knowing that I shared the first piece of truly honest information about myself in a long time.

I winced when Gokudera moved suddenly. I braced myself for the worst: him hitting me or smacking me with his words, calling me Stupid Woman like he used to and taunting me about my feelings.

Until I realized his hand had landed on my head and patted it gently.

I couldn't resist looking up, looking into a solemnly smiling Gokudera staring down at me too. His hand ran over my cheek, and I couldn't help feeling calmer as I felt his calloused pad run over skin. "…I get it." His voice susurrated, uncharacteristically soft. My eyes slid closed and I felt immense relief with his warm hand on my face.

"…Then I'm just gonna have to press rewind."

My eyes flew open as the heat disappeared from my cheek. The image that my eyes then saw was Gokudera quickly jumping off the steps and running for his bike. Before I could open my mouth to say anything, he had hopped onto his motorbike and sped off down the road back the way we came.

Confused as I was, I couldn't help the awe bubbling up from inside me. To wake me up from my reverie, I smacked my cheeks and quickly stormed inside the building.

After all, despite his hands being so warm I couldn't help but think about the numerous other girls that may have touched those fingers before he reached for me.

* * *

><p>It was unusual for me to arrive at school about an hour early, considering I usually walked to school for forty five minutes. So I instead sat down in my desk, watching the other students slowly trickle into the classroom while attempting to scratch out the homework I hadn't dented the night before. But like before, my head swirled not with algebraic equations but with Gokudera.<p>

I felt so stupid. Every time I tried to convey my true feelings, all I did was push him over the edge. I felt sick to my stomach. When did I become such a person who knowingly hurt someone like that? When I was younger, I used to look at others and say to myself that if anyone ever confessed to me I would give them a fair chance at love. How did I become so cold and unfeeling that I forgot that promise and considered every man who moved an enemy to me?

Before I could answer my own rhetorical question, one of my old girlfriends Nami strode up to me with that gleaming gossiper look in her blue eye. She had been a good friend of mine in middle school, and when she discovered that her best friend was enrolling in a normal public high school she followed along behind like the puppy she was…and to figure out the secret of the cute guy that I was obviously crushing on.

She bounded along the path to my desk with curly brown locks died honey nut blonde that swayed just below her earlobes. Her hands clapped onto my desktop with a thunder that would make even Zeus wince.

"Where'd you go yesterday?" She asked excitedly, practically bouncing up and down where she stood.

I shrugged and turned back to my work. "Nowhere."

"Ohhh, you little joker!" She exclaimed, now bouncing on her toes. "I heard some girls say that they saw you drive off with Mr. Gokudera on his bike! Tell me all the dirty details!"

I laughed nervously and closed my book. "Y-yeah…I…guess…" I mumbled, wishing I hadn't seen Tsuna and Kyoko walk through the door out the corner of my eye (hand in hand of course).

My words suddenly became a floodgate. Nami was now surrounded by a bunch of Gokudera's known fans and admirers all yelling at me at the same time for information.

"No way!"

"Where'd he take you?"

"Did you two go on a date?"

"Are you two dating?"

"Does he have a brother?"

"No, no!" I stammered, trying to stop the commotion. "He, uh…he just gave me a ride home yesterday…I swear that's all!"

Every girl's face frowned, though some still looked slightly happy. They grumbled about how lucky I was and how they wished he would give them a second glance. Fortunately, the teacher entered before I had to explain myself to a crestfallen Nami.

Half an hour into the lesson was all it took for me to completely give up on focusing on the subject. My mind shifted to every move Gokudera made, bringing a heavy blush to my cheeks.

I was lucky, I realized. Every girl that normally gave Gokudera a confession was shot down instantly. As far as anyone knew, he hadn't been interested in anyone. There was even talk of him being 'unapproachable' in the different sense.

And then I had to come along and dash his hopes. I felt dirty.

I vowed I'd hate my dad forever for walking out on my mom and me. And that she and I were convinced every other man on the planet was just like him. What was the point of bothering if someone was going to get the same result? At least my mom didn't come home with pigs from work, as I heard horror stories from girls in similar situations. I would shudder every time I heard talk of what those men would do.

And yet, whenever I tried to push Gokudera away he was stubborn. He would never listen to me in the way I wanted him to, but he did listen. He did what he thought was best for me (though I tried to convince myself otherwise) even if I didn't want it at the time. I mean, I had thought motorbikes were deathtraps on slippery roads. Now I wasn't so afraid of them. In fact, I kind of liked them now.

I'd never to tell my mom that. She would freak.

Nevertheless, Gokudera stayed which was more than what my own dad did or any other guy I tried to rely on.

I'll apologize later, I decided. It was the least I can do.

A bang from the entryway woke me up from my reverie, scaring me half to death. I quickly recognized my heart attack and its cause. I turned to see the same Gokudera standing in the wooden doorway, drenched in sweat and red and panting heavily with his school jacket hanging loosely off his form. Some of the girls giggled in delight while most of the boys rolled their eyes in annoyance and awe.

The teacher grinned and slowly turned to face him, days of dealing with teenage rebellion about to be dealt back tenfold. "Ahh, Mr. Gokudera. Late to class as usual I see." The man sneered. He shrugged slowly with a laugh. "Well, if you apologize for your previous actions and take back all your insults to me I may allow you to skip the detention—"

"I'm not here for your lousy class, No Brain." Gokudera spat, leaving the teacher open-mouthed in shock. He faced the class, specifically me, and his eyes softened but his voice remained the same. "…I'm here for Miura."

Everyone jolted around in their seats to look at me in shock. I was dropped back into my body suddenly as his eyes dug into mine. Then, reality clicked. "…Wait, what?"

Gokudera strode past the teacher, weaving through the aisles until he reached my desk. He grabbed my arm suddenly. "Come with me." He ordered, yanking me up to my feet.

"What? What?" I yelped confusingly. He snatched my bag hanging off my tiny desk and gave everyone a 'what're you lookin' at?' look. "What—What's going on?"

"Just come on." He snapped back. Twisting my arm again, Gokudera lead me back through the maze of desks to the splintered door. My face burned as all eyes were trained on me, even the pale teacher open-mouthed in shock and disbelief. I felt even guiltier when I noticed Kyoko and Tsuna staring at me with concern and surprise burning in their eyes. Gokudera slammed the door shut behind us with a loud smack.

I bit my lip, determined to not embarrass myself further. "Wh-what are doing to me?" I hollered, dragging my heels to slow him down further. "Let go already!"

"No." He replied simply, as if he had expected me to argue.

"I said let me go!"

"I don't answer stupid questions."

"It wasn't a question!"

Gokudera led me down the staircase and through the long hallways to the entrance of the building. He pushed through the double doors impressively with one outstretched hand. Somewhat awed by this, I didn't even notice Gokudera dragging me once again toward his bike determinedly. He finally let me go (I like to think I finally wrenched myself free) and went towards the helmet sitting on the seat.

He turned back to me. "Get on." He tossed me the cherry red helmet.

I caught it. "Did you lose your hearing again? What is this, kidnapping?"

"…Just get on already."

"No! Not until you tell me what's going on!"

He groaned and kicked the ground in annoyance. He fisted his hands in his pockets. "…I don't even know myself…" He admitted softly. A long minute passed as he took the opportunity to lean up against the bike, staring into space. Finally, he stood up again looking at me determinedly. He slowly walked up to me until we were almost touching noses. "…You told me…you wanted something romantic and spontaneous right? Well, this is me, trying to be spontaneous. And…I know, I'm screwing up. But all I'm asking is that you give me half a chance to…to wipe the slate. To give you…what you honestly deserve." His head tilted to the side, looking like the adorable pug from next door that I loved tossing treats to. "…Can you give me that?" He asked, almost in that same begging tone.

I watched him. His eyes never left mine. The thought seemed genuine, and while I liked being out of that boring class I spent that whole minute analyzing myself. Had I not spent the hour before determinedly telling myself to beg for his forgiveness and give him a chance? I thought I prided myself on being honest with people. Who said anything about being judgmental?

It was probably the hardest decision I had to make.

And I'm glad I made it.

Before I knew what my arms were doing, I closed my eyes and felt the helmet caressing my head as I slipped it on. I opened my eyes in time to see Gokudera grinning widely, once again like the pug next door whenever he got a particularly juicy bone in his jowls.

He got on, and I managed to slip on behind him better than I ever had before. I growled as my hands instinctively wrapped around his middle like usual. Mind over matter, hah!

"You're getting better at this." I heard him say.

I growled. "Shut up."

Our next words were drowned out by the sound of the bike starting up and hitting the pavement suddenly. I bit back an eep and quickly flipped down the shielding. If I was being kidnapped for a romantic reason, I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to be taken anywhere that seemed unromantic in the slightest.

* * *

><p>Gokudera stopped at a convenience store, coming out with two bags of something that jostled as it moved and had a funky smell with actual waves of stink rising from the depths. When I asked, he only put a finger to his lips, thoroughly annoying me. He started the bike again and headed across town.<p>

I hate to say it, but he's a very good driver. I had never thought to get a license because I had always believed I would be living either at home in Namimori or having a driver take me places. Gokudera was always muttering under his breath to what sounded like mathematical equations, taking into account every possible accident or occurrence he could think of. I think one teacher called that 'instinctive driving'.

Either that or 'obsessive'.

Before I knew it, we were almost back to my house. Just as I got thoroughly disgruntled with him, Gokudera halted at the bridge crossing my home into Namimori. I was confused, knowing the riverbank was not exactly the hot spot for dates.

I leaned over, talking to his ear. "…Where in the world did you bring me?" I asked.

Gokudera chuckled and shut off the engine. He turned to me on the bike, a large grin on his face. "You mean you don't remember? This…is the place you and I first met."

I blinked furiously. "What?"

"That day, I was walking over to Boss's house and I saw you trying to beat him up on that bridge over there." He lazily pointed at the bridge, making me turn and look. Slowly, the memory came back to me as he spoke. "I didn't know it was you at the time though. And Boss was still a bit cowardly back then. You were swinging a hockey stick at him and you were covered head to toe in armor. I rushed over there to protect him and blew you up."

My eyes narrowed. "If I remember correctly, you never apologized for doing that."

He chuckled. "Consider this my apology then." He said, lifting up the plastic bags from before. He hopped off the bike and slid onto the ground. He helped me off then carefully led me down the sloped grass over to a flat, bare patch of earth almost touching the crystal blue water.

He stopped short and turned to me. "Wait here." Gokudera then whirled back to the ground, carefully unfolding some red picnic blanket I hadn't realized he had and laying it out over the soil. He reached into the bags and piled various bentos and containers out on one corner of the blanket and pulled out two long wax candles. He quickly stuck them in the loose dirt and pulled out his silver lighter. I hadn't even noticed he didn't have a cigarette in his mouth. After lighting them, he stood.

He turned back to me and grinned. "Happy birthday!" he joked, waving his arms over the spot with pride.

I couldn't hold back a chuckle or a laugh. I giggled and shook my head. "It's not my birthday!" I protested.

"Yeah, well, next time it'll probably be a lot nicer than this. But I can't cook, so don't expect something too fancy." Gokudera walked toward me, bowing lowly and stuck out his hand. "May I escort the lady to her seat?" He joked, putting on a funny French accent.

I giggled again. "Sure you may." I replied, playing along.

He took my arm and tucked it carefully into his elbow. "I'll show you the best table in the house. It has a lovely view of both me and the city." As I laughed again, Gokudera led me around the blanket to my place. He then sat down across from me, grinning.

Gokudera waved his arms like Vanna White over the various things of food. "Our specials today feature a delightful fried chicken dinner cooked three days ago with watery rice and slimy omelets and a soba dinner with…well, soba. Which would the lady prefer?"

"Oh well they both sound so delightful. I don't know which to choose."

Gokudera grinned and held up two cylinders and shook them enticingly. "How about cup ramen instead then?"

"Perfect!"

Gokudera chuckled and pulled out a long thermos from his bag, pouring boiling hot water into each cup for three minutes. After a while, Gokudera handed me one and some chopsticks. We ate in silence; the only sounds heard were the occasional slurping and clicking of the sticks together. I finished first, swallowing the remaining dregs of broth noisily to fill the awkward silence that was about to occur.

He didn't finish too far behind, swallowing his remains with a flourish. "…Care for dessert?"

My nose wrinkled as I bent over the lunches to gage my options. "…Not if it's gonna be the moldy old cookie there in the bottom of the soba."

He laughed. "How about from your favorite bakery instead?"

I looked at him, suspicious. "…How did you know?"

"Because you went on and on about how it was your favorite bakery."

"Oh…I see…"

Gokudera shook his head amused as he slowly unfolded a large ornate box, decorated with bands of white and pink. Laying inside was one of my favorite fruit tarts. How he knew, I couldn't guess. Probably had to do with me standing over the refrigeration case going "Oh, that's my favorite fruit tart!"

Anyway, Gokudera picked up a knife from seemingly nowhere and gently sliced the tart down the middle, making two neat halves. He plucked the slice with the most cream and various fruits piled on top and laid it on a paper napkin and handed it to me. I looked around, seeing only my chopsticks and nothing else to eat it with. I shrugged and began attempting to eat it with my fingers.

"Ahem."

I looked up, cream decorating my mouth, to see an outstretched fork in my face. I took it, face red with embarrassment. I ate quietly, savoring every bite and trying not to overanalyze everything that Gokudera had done for me in one afternoon.

I soon realized that Gokudera was staring at me, and I looked up in confusion. "…What?"

"Nothing," He murmured, looking away quickly. His gaze shifted off into the sunset, making his eyes widen. He checked his watch and began tapping his fingers impatiently.

I swallowed a blueberry, slightly amused and concerned by his actions. "…Are you okay?"  
>"Fine." He mumbled, still trained on his watch.<p>

I sighed and ignored the obvious worry still on Gokudera's face. I quickly finished off the flaky biscuit and wiped my face on the edge of the napkin. "…That was really good I'll admit," I said, grinning widely. I glanced down at Gokudera's watch, my eyebrows rising at the time. "Wow, it's getting late. Can you take me back home now? I'll need to get a head start on the work I've now missed because of you." I teased.

Gokudera nodded distracted. "Y-yeah sure…" He mumbled, staring off into space.

I leaned in closer. "…You okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, totally."

I frowned. "Really?"  
>Gokudera looked up to the sky and grinned. He looked back at me with a devious look in his eye. "…You said you wanted something magical, right?"<p>

"Gokudera, I just said that to—"

"Didn't you?" He asked me hurriedly. He kept looking up at the sky in concern as the seconds ticked by.

"W-well, yeah I guess but—"

Gokudera grabbed my arm and jolted me up from the blanket in a flurry. I was so surprised, I let out a little yelp as he swept up the bags from the ground. He then rushed me under the bridge, confusing me further.

"Wh-wha-what?"

"Just watch. Three and a half, two and six eighths…" He murmured. "Aaaaand…now!"

Suddenly, it was as if the heavens opened up. Without warning or predictions from dependable weathermen, sheets of rain fell from the clouds like someone had turned on the lawn sprinkler. Thunder rumbled menacingly but instead brought a large grin to my face. Sticking out my hand, warm raindrops fell onto my palm and easily slid off my fingers. The sun still shone, shining on each drop like a million prisms falling to the earth. A million tiny rainbows formed in each bead of water and exploded against the ground.

It was beautiful. So much more beautiful than I had ever dreamed of. I had always thought beautiful was a sad word to describe something lovely, but it was true.

I started laughing. I don't know why. But all of a sudden I found myself dancing around in the rain like it was a disco hall. Rain ran through my hair and I began singing to my unknown shower head. I swirled around in the wet grass and made droplet tornadoes like a four year old.

Then, I began dancing slowly to the song in my head that my dad used to teach me to waltz. I giggled like a madman to every joke my imaginary partner told and shivered in delight whenever my bare feet touched the muddy ground. Then, suddenly my partner's warmth was real, as Gokudera cut in and took over leading us around the muddy field.

We spun around several times and I'll admit, I giggled happily whenever he joked about whatever crossed our minds. His hand was wrapped strongly around mine and I could smell the nicotine rolling off his torso. His hand never strayed from its position on my waist and his eyes never shifted from mine. It was warmth I had never experienced before. Perfect.

The rain slowed considerably as we finished our last twirl. We stopped dancing, facing each other, dripping wet. I chuckled. "…Thanks."

Gokudera grinned and shook his hand through his wet hair, splattering me with more beads of water. "Sorry to disappoint, but that wasn't the magic."

I frowned and shifted my head to the side. "…Then, what is?"

Gokudera chuckled and grasped my shoulders. He looked down at the ground, biting back a laugh. He mumbled something about my muddy feet and then began shuffling me around in a circle. "…Facing due East Northeast, needs North Northeast…needs 4.78 centimeters…" He stopped quickly, staring at his feet. He looked up into my face and grinned. "Okay…enjoy your present."

He stepped aside, giving me a perfect view of the Namimori cityscape. Except, now before we had known it, the sky had darkened and dazzling stars had emerged from space as day turned into evening. The lights illuminated brightly in various patterns and designs and I couldn't help but gasp.

"Omigosh, oh my…" I stammered. "…I-I mean this…it's so…" I couldn't finish any of thoughts that attempted to breach my mind and exit my mouth. When nothing came out, I began to cry.

Gokudera rushed to my side, placing his hand on my back. "Sorry, is it bad?"

I shook my head, tears running down my cheeks. "…It's beautiful." That word again. But this time I didn't mind. Gokudera then slung his jacket off his shoulders and onto mine, rubbing onto goose bumped arms to stave off the chill.

When he wasn't looking, I deeply inhaled the smell of Gokudera's sleeve pressed against my nose in secret delight. I was drowning in orange spice and nicotine.

* * *

><p>"…And that's the Horn, SuBoshi…and see that far one at the end there? That's the Basket, MiBoshi. Those, along with that long line of stars there make up the Azure Dragon of the East. It's there because spring's almost here."<p>

We were lying on a spare blanket Gokudera brought (seriously, did he think of everything?), bodies turned toward each other but keeping the not touching rule. Our focus was on the starry sky above, the lights twinkling down on us against a murky navy blue skyline. I was drunk on everything good that had happened this day.

My head rolled on the dry checkered blanket to meet Gokudera's eyes, making more wrinkles in the already messed up cover. "Where's HatsuBoshi?"

An arm stretched up and nearly touched one of the stars directly above my head. "That's where it usually is…during the winter. It's probably gone now though."

I shivered as a wisp of cool air hit me suddenly, instinctually cuddling into the arm for warmth. We both froze at the awkward moment created. I was nervous at first but I eventually allowed myself to relax against him. He seemed to get the hint, because his arm covered my small shoulders protecting them from further chill. "…So yeah…those are all the ones I can think of now…"

"…I didn't realize you were into astronomy."

"Well, my sister was obsessed with astrology. She would spend hours well into the night, trying to interpret the stars' meaning for her love life. Eventually, she just realized that she was in love with the stars themselves. She taught me. It was one of the few things we did together."

"…I see…"

"If I had had the chance, I would've shown you a meteor shower. Those are the coolest things to see. But that's a few months away."

My breath hitched in my throat at the thought of something so intimate. But, not in the scary way I was expecting myself to react. Before I knew it, the words were rolling out. "…Maybe we can."

Gokudera's head rolled over to face mine. "Yeah. Maybe." He agreed, a grin on his face.

We rolled back to the sky, watching them twinkle above our heads for a long silence. Finally, I spoke again. "…Which one's your favorite?"

"Uh…I'd say…that one, just below Ophiuchus. You see it?"

"I think so. What's its name?"

He smiled, his face trained on the sky. "The Heart. NakagoBoshi."

"…It's pretty."

"…I thought so too."

We lay there in silence some more. My fingers gently touched his hand and they soon wrapped around mine protectively. "…I like the Horn more though."

"Well then, we'll call it Haru's star."

I grinned. "Then we'll call the one next to it Hayato's star."

"…Miura?"

"Yes?"

"…That's actually Virgo."

* * *

><p>It was a quiet ride back home. Gokudera drove as quietly as he could because suddenly we both had stayed out for as long as four hours just staring into space. Literally.<p>

I made Gokudera park himself farther down the road on the condition that he was allowed to walk me to the door without a fuss. It was a slow walk and it was somewhat chilly after the brief storm from before. Gokudera insisted on me wearing his jacket regardless and kept my hand warm in his pants pocket.

I was grinning like a madman, reliving every moment in vivid detail. My head was light and spinning. This was almost better than any other date I had pictured with any of my past loves. I breathed in tangerines and smoke and breathed out a tingling sensation in my lungs.

I tried to make the trek as long as possible, but before we could even blink we were right at the gate. We shuffled uncomfortably, the silence deafening.

"…So…" I murmured.

"So…" He murmured back.

We spent another minute in silence before I managed to find the courage to speak up again. "…Thank you for today. Really. I really…really enjoyed it."

Gokudera smiled. "I'm glad you did…Go on, your family's waiting."

I nodded. "Thanks." I turned to go through the gate, my hand on the latch. I slowly creaked the rusted metal open.

"…Wait!"

I froze, spinning around instantly. "Yes?" My heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to pop out of my chest at any moment. What was I expecting?

He inhaled quickly, pink staining his cheeks again. "…Goodnight Haru. Thank you for spending the day with me. And…even though it was just for today, I'll never forget it. So…thanks…" He murmured, leaning in.

For the smallest fraction of a second, every fiber of my being waited for him to kiss me breathless.

But it didn't come.

He lingered over my face for a long moment, breathing rolls of nicotine gum and orange mints over my hot skin. He seemed to rethink the idea and slowly (if regrettably) pulled away. I missed it instantly.

"…So…that's all I had to say…" He mumbled, his face getting pinker. "So…I guess I'll just lea—"

"Okay." I sputtered, unable to keep it in any longer. I wanted him, and now I knew it for certain. Nothing would be able to change my mind now. Not my dad, not Tsuna, not even my mother. Especially now not my mother.

"…I'm sorry?"

I inhaled nervously. "…I said okay. I'll…go out with you."

Gokudera's eyes widened in disbelief. "Really?"

I nodded. "Yes."

Gokudera grinned widely and enveloped me in a tight hug. It caught me by surprise, but I slowly found myself relaxing into his warm hold. My eyes slid closed when I felt his ringed fingers combing through my hair lovingly. I shivered when I felt his soft lips kiss my temples.

I squirmed nervously. "O-okay none of that just yet!" I protested, jumping back out of his hold. I swiped my fist over the affected area, rubbing off Goku-germs. The heat lingered.

Gokudera chuckled, amused. "Sorry."

I sighed. "But I'm serious you know! No funny business."

"Absolutely."

"No touching inappropriately."

"As you wish."

"No pet names."

"Not a problem."

"No flirting with other girls."

"Done."

I smirked and shuffled uncomfortably under his gaze. "…And…"

"And?"

"…And I don't want you to revert back to being a jerk to me. Ever." I stepped up, until we were nose to nose. "…Deal?" I questioned, pressing a long finger into his muscled chest.

Gokudera stepped up as well until our noses were almost touching. "Deal."

We smiled and he stuck out his hand. I took it, and we shook. But then, Gokudera pulled my arm closer to his and bent down over my palm. I flushed wildly when I felt his feather soft lips caress my hand like a knight from a fairytale. The heat returned as I felt his lips kiss my palm gently like a lover that I had only dreamed of having.

…Okay, time for reality wake up call.

I blushed madly and snatched my hand back. "St-stop that already!"

SMACK!

"OW!"


	3. Be Patient

**Well, I am still pretty happy with all of the reviews I've gotten over the week. I was even surprised to find a review in spanish! That means other people are liking my work ^^ I was even more surprised to have a couple of requests to do some oneshots. I've missed that.**

**In any case, I have do have a few ideas lined up so don't give up on me when this story's over, which will now be about seven more chapters ;). **

**So, for now, read, rate, review, and enjoy!**

* * *

><p>The days flew by. A trite way of describing something I know, but it was the truth. My time with Gokudera ate up everything else, and all the heartache I had been feeling before vanished into thin air before I realized it.<p>

Granted, we weren't the perfect couple at first. After all, my previous record of one being the boy I kissed on the playground in preschool before he ran off crying about cooties left much to be desired on the romantic level. And it seemed like Gokudera had no clue how to either.

Our first fight was about us holding hands down the street the next day.

Our second was the fact that we held them weirdly.

And our third involved him sniffing my hair too much.

You can guess what the fourth one was.

Eventually, we developed a clumsy rhythm and settled into a pattern. We would fight, I would get mad and say it was over, and he would immediately take his opinion back and apologize. Either way, I always won.

Soon, I couldn't live without him by my side despite every fight we had. The fights became fewer and fewer as we grew accustomed to each other and before I knew it, I was pulling out my summer uniform from the back of the closet and applying waterproof makeup with the light pink lipstick that Gokudera said he loved on me.

* * *

><p>That day, I had bounded out of the house after Mom managed to pull off an omelet that wasn't too salty this time to meet Gokudera at the gate. He hugged me and we made the trek down the street to where he had parked the bike.<p>

"You have a present for me?" I giggled in response to his earlier statement, grabbing his arm out of instinct. I wound my arms around his muscles and squeezed tight. He grasped his fingera around mine, having taken off all his rings previous (yet another previous fight we had had) so he wouldn't pinch me by accident. "But I didn't get you anything!" I pouted.

"Don't worry, you didn't miss anything." He chuckled, leading me around a puddle in the concrete. "We don't have an anniversary or anything."

I stopped, surprised. "You keep track of things like that?"

He shrugged. "Why not? It tells you how a relationship stands the test of time. Besides, it's a precious memory to me. The girl of my dreams agreed to go out with me, why wouldn't I be happy?"

I blushed like mad, punching his arm as hard as I could. "Sh-shut up!" I growled with a smile. He laughed in response and fell silent. I immediately recognized it as a way for him to avoid spoiling the surprise. "…So what's the present for then?" I pressed, hinting for a hint.

"No reason. I just felt you deserved it." Anyone in a thousand mile radius could hear the smile in his voice. And unfortunately it was against my favor.

I hopped around the corner with him, seeing only his bike and nothing else spectacular. I felt my shoulders fall heavily in disappointment as I glanced around. No giant box with a blue bow, like I had secretly hoped, or even a tiny Tiffany box with white flowers.

I had to remind myself that this was Gokudera. He believed a little treasure said a lot more than yen did. I just really hoped it wasn't just a 100 yen coin like he had often tossed at girls previous.

Instead of smacking me with money, Gokudera walked over to his bike rifling through his messenger bag. I got excited, thinking he was going to drive me to my present instead. I was more than willing to skip the history test this afternoon that I was destined to fail anyway if Gokudera had something special planned.

He seemed to find what he was looking for and pulled it out of the bag with a plop. "Here, for you." He said, holding it out to me.

Thinking he was handing me the cherry red helmet that he kept stored, I took it from him expecting it to be much heavier. Instead, it was lighter and easier to hold in my hands. I looked down and gasped in shock. It was a round helmet like his, but it was a beautiful shade of pink vermillion. It was decorated with deep swirls of ruby red and white with silver trim.

I had often complained about him getting bugs in his teeth as we drove. He had joked that maybe he should take his helmet back and I could ride without one instead. I had clenched the helmet close to my torso for about an hour afterwards before I mostly assured that he would not let me arrive anywhere with wild motorcycle hair.

He then pulled me aside later and simply asked, "Do you just want one of your own?"

"I don't know…maybe. In the future I guess." I had admitted. "But my mom can't know about it obviously. She can't know that I'm dating a guy, let alone one that drives a motorcycle. She'd kill me before letting me kill myself on that thing."

He had laughed heartily before wrapping an arm around my grinning shoulders. He had kissed my cheek and said "Don't worry. I'll pick out one that's perfect for you…" in his low tenor that made me melt every time he used it on me.

I smiled at him, clutching my present to my chest, beaming with joy. "…Did you know vermillion's my favorite color?" I asked him.

He looked surprised. "N-no…I just saw it and…it reminded me of you…"

I grinned and slipped it over my head. It fit perfectly. I slid in behind the pink-faced Gokudera on the bike and snuggled deep into his back as the vehicle took off down the road. Even through the confines of the helmet, I could smell the orange and nicotine rolling off his skin into my nose.

Yep, this was my Gokudera. Adorable without even trying.

* * *

><p>"It's so hard to believe…" Hana murmured lowly, spinning my teddy bear pencil along the desk with a giant grin on her almond-shaped face. "I mean, you and Dumb Dera! I never would have pictured it."<p>

"Don't call him that!" I argued, coming to his defense. "He's actually very smart, he just doesn't agree with everything the teacher says."

"Oh my god…" Hana slid on my desk, moving towards me with chin resting on her elbows. "You really do like him don't you?"

I shrugged sheepishly, clutching my skirt nervously. "…I don't know…" I murmured. "I-I guess…maybe?"

Hana shrieked excitedly and danced around in a circle in front of my desk. My cheeks flamed as several of the other students milling about turned around to watch curiously. I laughed as I attempted to calm Hana down.

Hana Kurokawa and I had met when she followed Kyoko to high school and we hit it off well. Shortly after, she confessed to Kyoko and I that she was attracted to Kyoko's brother Ryohei and wanted to move their relationship forward.

It seemed a mystery to most of the girls, when she constantly batted away much more intelligent and handsome guys on a regular basis and wanted a simple-minded jock like the boxing club captain. With her dark black locks and tiny obsidian eyes hidden behind tasteful makeup and the alluring scent of jasmine, at least four boys daily fell to their knees and proclaimed their love. Still, Hana persisted, saying she wanted no one else but was unwilling to overstep the boundary of her friendship with Kyoko just for a boy.

To her delight however, Kyoko heartily gave her consent and introduced her friend to her brother. According to her, Kyoko could see the sparks in the air when Hana and Ryohei's eyes met. They spent every minute they could spare together for a month and began dating seriously afterwards.

Since that time, Hana had been the relationship guru for the girls. She hung out with everyone constantly like she had been part of the group all along. Hana was even the one who helped Chrome get over her shyness to ask Yamamoto out.

I came to her immediately, confiding in her about Gokudera's and my relationship, slowly informing everyone else. They were shocked (no surprise) but they seemed to be elated after the initial shock wore off. It was almost like they knew it was going to happen. I tried not to let my annoyance show on my face when I realized it.

Hana giggled in Ryohei's wrestling jacket, whipping her hair over her shoulder like a model from a picture I'd always admired. "Just watch," she said, her coal black eyes twinkling. "You're gonna marry him, I just know it."

I waved her off, my face steaming. "Sh-shut up! That won't happen."

Nami giggled at my elbow. "I had a feeling," She admitted, taking the opportunity to insert herself into my humiliation. "The moment I saw you two together, I thought you two looked cute together."

I slid in my seat and banged my head against the desk in utter embarrassment.

"Can I be one of the bridesmaids at your wedding?" Hana teased further, poking my shoulder. "Blue looks the best on all of us."

"Shut up!" I hollered, thoroughly embarrassed. "You're making people stare!"

Class time had barely begun and I was already getting glares. After our first argument, it seemed like wildfire was set through the school bringing the news that Gokudera was dating along with it. Girls I used to just pass by in the hallway either cheered me or gave me dirty looks. One girl even accused me of being a skank before being promptly pulled away by a nearby teacher and subsequently suspended.

It bothered me to some degree, but it never seemed to get vicious. Though I had heard so many times from neighboring students that the "Goku-DOKI" fan club (the one that had been founded day one and survived off destroying any girl in their warpath) was out for blood, I never got any sort of threat from them.

So I wasn't afraid. Why would I be? I had the sweetest, most thoughtful guy I'd ever known by my side. Granted at one point, I had hated him senseless but nevertheless Gokudera had proven himself worthy. I had quickly become addicted to him following me around, dishing out attention and I only wanted more.

Hana twirled my pencil on the desk. "But it's still hard to believe…" She murmured mainly to herself. "I mean, we all knew it was going to happen but we expected the idiot to grow up some before it happened. Maybe he did and we didn't notice."

I sighed. "I tried to ask him what made him change his mind about me once. His eyes…got a little faraway and he didn't answer. So I didn't press."

Hana shuffled and leaned on her hand. "I suppose that's okay and all because it did happen, but doesn't it bother you that you don't entirely know? I mean, I would be concerned if a guy like that kept too many secrets from me. It's probably wise to…" She trailed off, sniffing the air. She continued to sniff the air around my desk before landing beside my right ear. A cat-like grin tip toed across her face as my cheeks became very hot. "…Haru…are you wearing…perfume?"

I bit my lip in utter embarrassment. "…Yes…Yes I am."

An eruption of giggles from my friends rang out through the classroom as my head slipped to the top of my desk again.

* * *

><p>Class began afterwards and I spent a good hour staring at the spanse of math equations on the blackboard before giving up and took to staring out the window, watching for a red motorbike instead. Gokudera was notorious for not bothering up to show for the early morning classes-sometimes not at all-but he would always come back around for lunchtime with me.<p>

That, meaning, I made him lunch and he actually got some nutrition in his diet.

The first time we had had lunch together, it had been a quiet, awkward one. Still not used to each other, we took to eating in silence.

Until I saw what he was eating. "…Is that fish rotten?" I had pointed out, seeing a slip of salmon flop out of a poorly constructed rice ball. He had calmly picked it up with his chopsticks and stuck the gray thing in his mouth, chewing slowly.

Just before I vomited right then and there, he had the tact to mention "Yeah, it tastes a little weird but with enough soy it doesn't bother me as much."

So he was bound to die young not just because of food poisoning but also sodium intake. I had promptly snatched the lunch box away and threw it in the trash where it belonged. When he protested, I told him he could have mine. And then he grinned.

"…Really…?" He had murmured slowly, just like an evil man would. I sighed, knowing I'd signed a contract with the devil as I slid my bento towards the middle of the shared desk so he could snare an octopus-wiener.

Since then, it became our tradition to sneak up to the rooftop to eat and chat during the day. And it was my favorite part.

But it would only begin if he got there!

I sighed as the minutes ticked by and still no sign of the red motorbike when it entered the grounds appeared. My eyes slid to the carefully wrapped package sitting inside my desk, just waiting to be devoured by two people. I had put all of his favorites in and he had told me just that morning that he was looking forward to it, making my heart heavy with every minute without any signs of his arrival. My eyes were trained on the entrance in anticipation.

"…ura…Miura…Miura!"

I jolted back to reality when I heard the teacher yell my name across the classroom. All the eyes were on me, and I flushed instinctually as I stood up from my desk. "Yes sir?" I asked meekly.

His coco brown eyes narrowed in contempt. Apparently, he still hadn't forgotten the day Gokudera pulled me out. "Are you making a habit of not attending my lectures, whether consciously or not?"

My face burned as the class rang with laughter in response. "N-no sir…" I squeaked out nervously.

His snorted and turned to the blackboard as he scratched out some math equations. "Get out. You've been called to the office for business."

"Y-yes sir." I weakly sat down and with a quick glance to the clock, grabbed the wrapped lunch. With any luck, I could put off coming back to class and skip to my happy time on the roof after the office visit. I sped through the rows of desks and through the door, avoiding eye contact with the teacher as he handed me my pass to freedom.

I ran through the hallways, finally stopping outside the office. I sat down to regain my breath and calm my frantic heart before approaching the clerk.

"We didn't send for you." They told me after inquiring. I walked away, shrugging, thinking nothing of the matter. I was all set to head for the rooftop to wait for the late buffoon when I bumped into Aiko Yamada.

Aiko Yamada was the queen bee of the entire school, holding every male student in the palm of her hand. With her chocolate brown tresses with blonde tips that curled in delicate swirls around the nape of her neck and almond green eyes that hypnotized every poor soul with a single stare, she could easily sway any sucker to her bidding.

However, every smart girl knew for a fact that she was a hunter. She chased down the hottest men she could find, ensnared them, and then trampled them underfoot for another hunk down the road. And every girl knew she had been gunning for Gokudera next.

If any girl was smart, she'd clear away from the warpath.

However, I wasn't all that smart.

Yamada narrowed her green eyes at me after I nearly ran her over exiting the offices. "Well, well." She sneered over her perfectly white nose. "If it isn't Miura. Shouldn't you be in class right now?"

"Shouldn't you?" I snapped back, silently wondering if all those years of gymnastics training would pay off in a few minutes.

She snickered, as if it were a corny joke. "I suppose so, shouldn't I? Well, since you don't seem to be too busy to talk right now, shall we take a walk?"

"Over a cliff?" My snarky comments had developed with age and constant battles with Gokudera in previous years.

She giggled fakely. Yamada then extended her hand to me, but I brushed past her without a word. She herded me to the rooftop, the peak of the sun hitting the top of her head so perfectly that it resonated like a golden halo around her devilish head.

She turned to me with a sweet expression as she leaned against the chain linked fence.

"Shall I just be honest?" Yamada asked sweetly, like she was cooing to a baby.

I dropped my lunch by my feet and stuffed my arms into my arms defiantly. "Depends."

"On what?"

"On whether or not you're gonna tell me to break up with Gokudera."

The devil grinned wider. "Wow!" She gushed. "You're good! They told me you were too stupid to get the idea, but I figured you were fairly intelligent."

I growled. "I never said I would."

"Oh, I don't really believe that Miura." She stood up, brushing imaginary dirt off her skirt. "I heard through the grapevine that you actually liked Sawada. Why you do, I can't possibly imagine but if you're simply biding your time with Gokudera I do hope you realize there are many other girls who would like a chance to—"

"He asked me out." I stated flatly. There really was no point in hiding the truth now, especially since the hounds were now breathing down my neck.

She seemed genuinely surprised by this, before narrowing her eyes in thorough dislike. "…Gokudera never confesses to girls."

"Well, he did to me," I snapped. "So please quit accusing me of tricking him into dating me. If you have an argument, take it up with him."

Yamada seemed relieved. "So you will break up with him."

"Not a chance." I growled again. Her smile vanished. "If you had asked me two months ago, I would have said yes in a heartbeat. But now…" My voice trailed off as an unconscious smile tiptoed across my face. "…Now he's dear to me. I won't want anyone else, ever. He's nice to me and he cares about my feelings." My fingers trailed over my shoulders protectively, imagining they were the long, calloused fingers I adored instead. "It's trite but…I really like him."

"'Like him'?" Yamada snarled viciously. "You don't just like a guy like Gokudera! You either love him, or you don't!"

"Why is it suddenly so important that I have to love him?" I shot back just as heatedly. "Can't I just be happy with the way things are now?"

Yamada jabbed a finger against my chest. She suddenly seemed almost human, her face flushed and chest heaving like she had run a marathon. The funny thing was, I don't even know if she had even run a marathon before. Her perfect hair seemed to slip out of its perfect shape, falling lamely beside her pink ears. Even her nose seemed bigger and her eyes seemed to shrink in her eye sockets. She looked more normal than any other girl I'd seen in my life.

"I'm warning you," Her usually musical voice sounded nasally and garbled in her normal façade. "Stay away from Gokudera. If you don't, you'll regret it bitch. Got it?"

"Clearly." I snapped. "Now leave me alone."

She stood back up straight, readjusting back into her perfect visage. Her nose shrank and her hair snapped back into place without a second thought. Her face cooled and when she opened her eyes again, her olive green eyes (normal sized again) narrowed at me with fake sweetness. "Gladly." She said in that musical voice, dancing past me in a flurry of what I thought was rose petals.

…Where the hell would the rose petals come from anyway?

I sighed, bending down to grab my lone lunch sitting passively by my ankles. I then felt something shuffle behind me. I grinned and stood up, brushing off the lunchbox absently before addressing the sound.

"…Is she your type Gokudera?"

I heard a thud and felt two strong arms envelop me from behind. "No frickin' way," I heard whispered huskily in my ear. "You are so much better."

I grinned and spun around in his tight grasp. I kissed Gokudera's cheek quickly, tasting cigarettes. "Good." I cheered. "I figured you weren't into the stick thin, gotta-be-prefect type."

"Yeah, especially since I got the perfect girl here. What's the name…something or other Nadeshiko."

"Aww…good boyfriend stuff, keep it up dear."

* * *

><p>Lunch passed by without further incident, and with much begging and pleading Gokudera agreed to stay with me an extra hour, delaying my return to math class. I snuggled up against his lap and pointed out funny looking clouds to hide my real thoughts. One cloud looked like Yamada's fat head. One looked like her nose. One looked like her nose after a poorly done nose job. One looked like-<p>

Finally, Gokudera sighed. "…Alright, what's wrong?"

I looked up at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you keep referring to Yamada. What, are you in love with her or something?"

"No!" I flushed in anger. "I…exactly the opposite actually…" I admitted, slowly.

"Is this about what she said?"

"No."

"Yes?"

"…Yes."

He sighed heavily. "Haru, I told you. I only care about you."

"I know, it's just…" I trailed off, remembering something. "…Did you call me Haru?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Well I do it already when I say goodnight so why not?"

"No!" I yelped, launching upward. "No, no, no, no! We are not using first names! No, no, no, no!" I hollered, scrambling up and away from him as far as I could.

He followed me. "What's the problem?" He snapped.

"The problem is that the moment we start using first names, the whole relationship changes! You say the first name during a kissing scene, the next moment we're making out under a fireworks show and doing it in the broom cupboard at school."

He frowned. "Okay, first off, quit it with the yaoi references, it creeps me out. And second," He sighed, scratching his head. "What's wrong with the first name? You know mine; I said you could use it too. You never do. I call you by your first name when I say goodnight, you aren't bothered by it then."

"Yes, but that's why I run inside after I say it!" I yelped back. "It's cause I know you won't follow me into my house and it's my safety zone! You can't suddenly start calling me Haru with abandon! I already get enough crap as it is just for dating you! If we start using first names, then it's like cementing the fact that we're together! I don't want that!"

The moment the words left my mouth, I regretted them. I suddenly saw how those words could be taken, and my face flushed in response. "…W-wait, that didn't come out right…" I mumbled. "I-I mean, I like you and me together. I really do! B-But…if we start using first names, th-then—"

He clapped a hand on my head. When did he come up next to me? At that moment, I didn't care because I snuggled closer to his chest and breathed in his scent. "…I get it." He murmured into my hair. "I promise, I won't do anything weird, I swear. No first names for now. You tell me when, okay?"

I nodded yes against his chest. I knew it wouldn't be too far down the road, I really did like him a lot. I wish I could have been able to use the l-word but I figured that would come later.

"…_re gonna marry him, I just know it_…"

I flushed against Gokudera's chest, glad he couldn't see it. We slowly broke apart and I slid to the ground silently. He followed suit, placing himself next to me. We sat in silence for a long moment.

"…That one looks like her big fat head on a stick."

"Seriously, what is with you and Yamada?" He murmured under his breath. "She's just one girl, I'm sure you could take her."

"It's not her I'm worried about Gokudera." I was very careful, using his name. "It's what she can do that scares me. You know her dad's that famous policeman."

"Really?"

"And her mother's a big time lawyer."

"Figures. She sweet-talked one of the teachers the other day into quitting at the cram school."

"Her family could ruin everything." I sighed. "I wanna get my license, actually graduate University. I can't do that if they're breathing down my neck all the time. Besides," I trailed off, looking at Gokudera out of the corner of my eye. "…I wonder if one day you would take her offer…"

He frowned and seemed stunned. "What gives you that idea? I told you, I'm not into girls like that." He wrapped an arm around my head comfortingly. "Only you."

The idea did make me happy to some extent and I giggled without thinking.

"…Give me one of those." He mumbled, pointing to the gel pens sticking out of my pocket. I used them mainly for emergencies; whenever a girl got bored in class and announced that we were allowed to doodle on her meant that a girl had to be quick and ready or else she forfeited her own place for adornment.

I picked up one at random, holding it out to him. He winced. "…Pink? Really?"

"Just take it crybaby." I chuckled as he took it from me. Then, he grabbed my arm.

That took me by surprise. "Wh-what? Let go!"

"Just give me a minute!" he protested, flipping off the cap. I stilled, begrudgingly, as he brought the tip to my wrist. With my arm captured and his head bent, obscuring my view I could vaguely feel some sort of drawing being graffittied on my skin. As usual, he was very methodical and precise drawing each line with great care, rubbing away unwanted lines with a slick finger and a pinched brow.

Finally, after what seemed like decades he clicked the lid back on the pen and blew on my wrist. I couldn't resist a shiver when I felt his nicotine breath hit my sensitive skin.

After a couple short puffs, Gokudera relinquished my arm back to me. "There," He said. "Now you're mine."

I blinked and looked down to my forearm for clarification. My mouth opened in a perfect 'o' upon seeing a perfect image of Uri decorating my forearm.

Uri was Gokudera's precious pet cat that doubled as his partner for various mafia-related reasons. When they had first met, they had despised each other to no end. However, lately the golden haired cub had warmed up to the stubborn man and now cuddled up to him like a perfect kitten whenever he was around.

I could almost see every tuft of fur coming off the cat's back in exquisite perfection. I saw every light and detail looking through me with wide eyes and I swore I almost saw the cat's tail twitching around the base of my palm. It was perfect.

I looked back up to Gokudera. "It's amazing!" I gushed. "It's almost like he's on my wrist."

I could see a hint of a blush rising up over his poker face. "W-Well, Uri likes you a lot a-and, well, you were upset about people trying to win me over so…so this way you'll know that…" He turned to me with a gentle look on his face. "…You'll know that you're the only girl I'll ever want." He finished.

I grinned and blushed. "Th-that so?"

Gokudera shuffled back to his position next to me. "Yeah…so…hope you like it."

It was so sweet…that it even gave me an idea. I grabbed his wrist and plucked my purple gel pen up.

I stuck the lid in my teeth and started drawing. Gokudera watched silently as I swirled the tip around on the skin of his forearm, the blush slowly fading away from his face.

Finally, I topped my drawing off with one final line and popped the pen back in its lid. "Done!" I announced, waving my hand over it to dry.

Gokudera's arm lifted out of my grasp, tilted to face him. He chuckled lowly when he saw it. "..It says 'PROPERTY OF HARU 3'."

"You didn't really think I was going to do something gushy and romantic did you?"

"Well, I was sort of hoping you would."

"Nah. It's better this way. Less ambiguous."

"…You misspelled 'sniveling' in the fine print at the bottom."

"Like she will tell the difference. I bet she can't even say 'sniveling obtuse bitch'."

Gokudera laughed again, facing me. "Thanks Miura." He kissed my forehead and stood up. "Despite using it as a billboard to Yamada, I love it. They say purple's manly."

"Anytime." I grinned as he held out a hand to help me up. "…Maybe next time I'll draw butterflies and unicorns and rainbows."

"Then maybe next time I'll draw a dragon breathing fire and chocolate coins."

* * *

><p>The rest of the day was tiring without Gokudera around. Instead of attending the last lecture, I spent the forty minutes waiting for the dismissal bell to ring signaling the triumphant return. My bag hung from my fingers and my cerise helmet sat neatly beside me. My toe tapped impatiently, wishing the bell would ring.<p>

Some people might call it obsessive, some could call it loving. I call it waiting for a guy who's too good for school.

My legs swung out in front of me, dancing in midair. It was a nice feeling to be free, even if I was waiting on a guy. A smile stretched across my lips with every thought about Gokudera my mind could conjure up. I think the word is…whipped?

My phone beside me buzzed against the cement and I whirled on it out of habit. But instead of Gokudera's name flashing on the caller i.d., it was the tall, lean star baseball player of Namimori High. That could only mean one thing.

I grinned and flipped it open. "Hi Chrome. Borrowing Yamamoto's phone again?"

I heard a little cough on the other end of the line and I could almost hear the blush in her voice. "Y-yes." She said sheepishly. I found myself smiling in spite of her shyness.

Chrome Dokuro had been my friend for a few years. She was tiny and incredibly shy, but slowly warmed up to everyone, Yamamoto especially. It wasn't for a while until I realized that the reason Chrome offered to become the baseball team's manager was because she had developed feelings for said player. Everyone waited for him to notice her feelings, but as the time slowly dragged on, nothing happened. Finally, we helped Chrome by preparing her confession and told Yamamoto of her feelings.

Of course, he was thoroughly flabbergasted. But after the initial shock wore off, he smiled and agreed. They had been together ever since. His dad loved having her around, and she slowly developed a passion for cooking as he taught her the art of sushi making.

She retained her timid nature but was slowly budding as an individual.

I could hear her fidgeting in her uniform as she spoke over the phone. "U-um…w-well, you remember how everyone was talking about the festival on Sunday?"

"Oh yeah…everyone was going to see the fireworks show, right?"

"Y-yes…w-well, you see…" I could hear the blush spreading all the way to her ears. "..Uh-um…Y-Yamamoto said he wanted to take me, y-you know, as a date. B-but, I don't have a yukata to wear."

I frowned. "But, you don't need one to go, right? Unless…" A sly grin spread across my face. "…did Yamamoto ask you to?"

"N-no!" She protested. "J-just, it was just an afterthought."

I gigged, thinking to myself. "…Um, well I do have one. It's a little big, but I think we could make it fit." I assured her. "And it's blue, so it'll look good on you."

"R-really? It's not a problem?"

"Chrome, if it was a problem I wouldn't offer, would I?" I grinned. "I'll drop it by later, okay? Tell Kyoko too."

"Okay." Her voice sounded cheery and I winced as the sound of a loud crack of a bat filled my ear. "Oh, I'm sorry; I'm going to have to go. One of the team members just fell and I need to go see if his leg's broken or just bends that way sometimes."

I repressed a shudder. "Alright, see you later."

"Goodbye."

A click and a buzz later told me she was gone. I stared at the phone in my hand for a moment, dreading the thought now planted in my mind.

The Summer Fireworks Festival was the main event of the whole Namimori community. Stores for weeks had been preparing for the rush, putting up sales for everything from foods to electronics with the guarantee that it would be the biggest event yet. It was also the time of the year when girls pulled out their dusty yukatas out from their closets and dragged along their boyfriends through the stalls.

Along with being the most-family fun event, it was also the most romantic as it ended with a world famous pyrotechnic show. The rumor was that if you kissed spontaneously at the moment the first firework went off, you would be bound together by the gods of fate and nothing could tear you apart.

That is, if you believed in that sort of a fairytale.

I sighed, scratching my head. It was a nice idea, and I had in fact agreed to go, but the issue still remained if I was going alone. Gokudera had said nothing about it, and when I had agreed to go we hadn't been together. Though he was going with the group as well. So it left a lot to the imagination.

I sighed again, almost missing the sound of Gokudera's bike running up to the school grounds. I grinned and practically leaped off the stairs to grab him as he got off his bike.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe I used to be scared of this thing!" I exclaimed as I dismounted in front of my house. "It's so much fun to ride! You should teach me to drive it sometime!"<p>

"Yeah, no way in hell." Gokudera snickered back. "But I understand. I rode on one a lot when I was younger and cars these days just aren't as fun. I'm glad you feel better about it now." He patted the vehicle, a loud clang resounding in response. "It's my baby, second to you."

Ignoring the obvious compliment wasn't easy. My face betrayed me, flushing instantly in response. The line between liking him giving me attention and actually loving him was becoming more blurry by the day. I could almost feel the words on the tip of my tongue, and it took more effort to swallow them back little by little.

I brushed away the uncomfortable thoughts, focusing on the issue at hand. Also standing as one of the most important steps in our relationship, Gokudera and I had been out occasionally. We usually went out for pizza after school or sat in Buttercup, sniffing the air as they readied the baking rush on the weekends. Due to my constant fears, neither of us had gone out on a real date, the only exception being the time Gokudera pulled me away to take our picture together in a photo booth.

It was my fault really. I never expected to want to be near him as much as I did. I never even suspected that our relationship could last as long as it did. The excuse was there: I was scared of being hurt again. Gokudera sat by my side and listened to me. And I now cared about him more than I liked to admit.

I chewed my lip as my thoughts turned once again to Sunday. Gokudera had said nothing about it, and it somehow slipped my mind until Chrome brought it up over the phone. I wanted to go…I just needed to know if Gokudera did too.

"…Um, Gokudera?"

"Yeah?"

"Um…y-you know…the festival this Sunday?"

"The one Boss and everyone're going to?" He questioned. "Yeah, of course."

"U-um," I blubbered stupidly. "…I was wondering…w-well…are you going?"

He frowned. "I said I would, didn't I?"

"Y-yes…I just thought—"

"Are you not coming?"

"N-no, I was planning to—"

"Then what's the problem?"

"I-I meant…are we…going together?"

He frowned again. "I thought it was obvious."

"You never said so!"

"Again I thought it was obvious."

I groaned. "You have to tell me these things Gokudera. Otherwise I won't know!"

Gokudera chuckled and sighed with a grin. He offered his hand and I took it. He knelt before me in his normal fashion whenever he wanted to weasel something out of me. He cupped his hands around my palm. "…Will you go to the festival with me Haru Miura?" He grinned sweetly.

"…Yes. Finally, jerk!"

He chuckled and released my hand as he stood up. "What color yukata are you going to wear? I don't wanna miss you in the crowd."

"U-um," I stammered. "I-I'm not going to wear one."

He frowned again. "How come? Don't the girls usually do that? It's some kind of tradition right?"

"Yes. But I'm lending the one I have to Chrome so she can wear it. She needs it more than I do."

He growled. "What, so she can show off for Ball-Freak? That sucks. I would've liked to see you in one."

I giggled. "You've seen me in mine before."

"Yeah, but not for just me." He argued. "Oh well. What color should I expect then?"

I thought silently for a moment. "…I guess…pink?"

He grinned and chuckled. "That seems to be your color, doesn't it?" Gokudera joked, coming forward. I waited, soon feeling his arms wrap around my waist and pull me into his chest. It was like squeezing a toy fresh from the box; cigarette smoke invaded my nose instantly, despite him telling me long ago that he had given up the habit. I had grown accustomed to the smell, relishing every flavor that rolled off of him. "I guess I just love even that about you." He murmured against my cheek, his hands sliding up to caress my back.

I turned boneless in his grasp, feeling safer than a child in his mother's arms. After what seemed like years ticking away in his strong hold, Gokudera relinquished me. He pecked my forehead before I could squirm away. "…See you soon."

"S-See you." I stammered stupidly. I cursed myself inwardly, mentally smacking myself into the wall a hundred and seven times. When I finally turned back around, I caught the visage a pink-faced Gokudera speeding away break neck as though the cool air would cool his head.

* * *

><p>Chrome was currently living with Kyoko and her family. She had been for a while now, when she had been dropped off at the doorstep with nowhere to go about two years previous. She had spent the majority of her time beforehand following around two other strange boys whose names escape me (they never bothered to learn my name, why should I remember theirs?).<p>

Under Kyoko's careful care, she had flourished. Chrome was no longer as scrawny as she used to be, nor as malnourished. She developed a healthy glow and her hair had sprung down around her shoulders after having been introduced to shampoo for the first time in a few years. Her timid nature still remained, but not as prominent.

That was Yamamoto's influence. He taught her to smile and laugh comfortably and without abandon. Through his…unusual methods, Chrome had changed for the better. She became the baseball team's manager, known through the other boys as their "other mascot".

After an hour or so adjusting my large yukata on her tiny frame, she peeked out from the top in a flattering baby blue with tiny blackbirds adorning the sleeves with a pink face. I praised her greatly before yawning for an hour or so, pretending to be tired. She finally let me go when I agreed to meet up with her beforehand to help with her hair for the festival.

I slipped into the dark hallway, passing Kyoko's brother in his room on his nightly three-hour phone call to Hana. I was pointedly trying to avoid Kyoko as much as possible. While being with Gokudera had lessened the pain of losing my first love, it still felt awkward to hang around the two of them. I still caught myself staring at their combined hands and of course pausing in the hall long enough to see their lips crash together before going to class. When it had spilled out that I was still thinking these thoughts, Gokudera had shrugged. "It'll slip away naturally, I promise." He assured me. "I did the same thing for a while before I had noticed you completely."

Nevertheless, I had had little contact with Kyoko since, almost subconsciously blaming her for taking away my love despite knowing it obviously wasn't true. So why was I still sneaking around her house?

"Haru!"

I froze in my quiet tracks, slightly jumping out of my skin for a moment before turning around to face the sweet-sounding voice that emerged from Kyoko's lighted bedroom. The light flooded the dark hallway, illuminating her fancy sweat outfit and the light shining off the cell phone in her hands. I swallowed back the lump in my throat when I saw the backlight still on and something sounding like Tsuna's voice on the other end. "…Kyo…ko…"

"Are you leaving already?" She asked quickly, like she had been running a mile. Her face was flushed with excitement and delight. "I was hoping you and I could spend some time together, if that's okay I mean," She murmured, sounding incredibly hopeful.

"A-Actually, I need to get home—"I mumbled feebly.

"Please?" She begged, pulling out her signature puppy dog eyes that I could never refuse in my lifetime. I found myself nodding and she brightened.

She brusquely pulled the contraption up to her ears and whispered fiercely, "Sorry Tsu, can I call you back later?"

My heart did a leap in my chest as she nodded and whispered something like 'I love you too' before flipping the device shut and turning back to me. She held out her hand, and ushered me inside her pink bedroom.

She told me she would quickly grab some tea and be right back, shutting the door softly behind her. I ran my fingers through the soft carpet, remembering many good times in this bedroom together. Long sleepovers, late night study dates, and many giggles and secrets shared under the scary glow of an old flashlight that was housed in the table drawer beside her four poster bed.

It was also the same room that Kyoko blurted out that she was going to tell Tsuna she loved him.

I was just cleaning up some cookies from the bakery when I stopped short in the midst of picking up some butter cookie crumbs. "…Wh-what?" I had sputtered, trying not to let the panic seep into my voice.

"I know…" She had said in response, pink staining her embarrassed face. "I mean, I had known forever that Tsuna liked me. But…it wasn't until some months back that I started thinking he was…looking incredibly handsome. He made these faces that…well, if you saw them, you'd just know that he could say anything and you would believe in him. When he said he would protect me, I believed in him without a second thought because I made the mistake of staring into his eyes." She had giggled softly as her eyes slowly slipped into a memory I couldn't reach. She loved him. She really loved him.

She had chuckled again and rubbed her arms comfortingly on her arms. "I'm slightly worried he's fallen for someone else though. I hope he hasn't made any crushes since the last time." She admitted.

I knew it had meant some courage for her to come out and tell me it, but I still couldn't help but resent her words. Who had loved Tsuna longer? If I couldn't have him, then certainly not Kyoko who was only thinking of her feelings now.

In that frenzied moment, I wanted to kill her. I suddenly understood why girls got into fights over boys. I imagined myself tearing her pretty hair from her scalp and raking my fingernails against her pale cheeks until they stained crimson.

The moment I thought these crazy thoughts however, they died away as quickly as they came. But now I felt sickened to my stomach for more than just one reason. I stood up and made the excuse that my mom wanted me home early to help with dinner and took off. I cried for two hours afterward for my pathetic thoughts and my uncharacteristic jealousy. What was wrong with me?

The next day, I resolved myself. I called Tsuna to the roof, and made my offensive maneuver. Maybe if I got to Tsuna before Kyoko then she would have nothing left. I had it planned already, simply waiting for the right time to come forward with my desires for over two months so it was simple enough to do.

Despite that, the words stuck in my throat and my head was swirling with the snarls I had thrown at my dad as I watched him leave, Kyoko's smiling face as she talked about him, my mother's brokenhearted stare as my dad refused to accept her plea to stay. I just wanted one thing in my life to go right, and it was all hinging on Tsuna's response.

I finally managed to spit the words out, and the air was thick with a tense feeling afterward. I watched Tsuna's mouth open and close several times within the span of apparently four minutes but what felt like forty years to me. Finally, he smiled forlornly and stared at me with pity-filled auburn eyes.

"…Oh Haru…I'm really…very sorry. I wish I could accept your feelings but…I'm afraid I can't. Believe me; never in my wildest years would I ever expect a girl to confess to me, period. But the thing is…I'm in love with someone else..."

My heart froze at this statement. But before I could utter another word, he went on.

"She's…strong and compassionate like you. But, there's just something about her that makes me incredibly happy. I mean, not to say that you don't of course, but…" He trailed off, his eyes growing distant on the windy rooftop. I was startled to see true love radiating in his eyes. "…but she makes me want to be better. You accepted me when I was invisible and I appreciate that," He smiled that reached deep into his eyes. "…But I want to be stronger. And she gives me the courage to do so every day."

He had slowly walked up to me, putting his warm hand on my head in comfort. "Thank you for loving me Haru. I couldn't have done it without you."

* * *

><p>Kyoko poured the tea in front of me keeping her face blank, devoid of any of the previous excitement she had showed earlier. I sat for a long, tense moment just staring into my cup watching the tea leaves dance around the rim. Finally, I decided to cut the silence.<p>

"…Um, Kyoko…"

"I wanted to congratulate you." Kyoko flushed pink, staring at me directly with a determined look on her face.

I resisted the urge to squeal in delight like I normally did whenever she made that face and coughed it away. "What, what'd you say?"

"You and Gokudera dating." She responded slowly. "I meant to congratulate earlier, but I never got that chance. I think I kept missing you somehow."

No. The truth was I avoiding her.

She smiled warmly. "I've missed having you around. It's hard to talk the girl talk with anyone else." She admitted, giggling softly.

"O-Oh?"

Suddenly, her smile melted and disappeared in a flash after my cautious response. "Um, Haru…" She fidgeted with something in her lap before lifting her head up nervously and peering up at me through honey brown bangs. "…Did I do something to upset you? I'm incredibly sorry if I did!"

"Wh-what?" I jumped in surprise.

She went on. "You've been different ever since I started dating Tsuna. He told me not to worry, that it wasn't my fault, but I can't help thinking it is! Please, tell me if I'm wrong or not! Please say I am!"

I was taken aback. "N-No it's—"

"Did I say something? Did I hurt you somehow? Did Tsuna?"

"N-No, I—"

"Please Haru!" She launched from across the table, grabbing my hands clasped tight around my teacup through her frenzied speech. "I want us to be friends! Please tell me I haven't lost my best friend because of something stupid I did without thinking!"

This was so Kyoko. So concerned with what others thought that she gave little attention and concern for herself, even when she so obviously deserved it. I suddenly saw why Tsuna fell in love with her.

"…_she gives me the courage to do so every day_…"

All my anger and resentment melted away as Tsuna's words floated back to the top of my memory. I understood what he meant, and just what he saw in Kyoko. Now I got it. Kyoko was a much better person than I was, and now I realized I had some major growing up to do.

I felt like a million weights had been lifted off my shoulders, like the night Gokudera and I agreed to go out. I had clutched my clothes that smelled so much like him to my nose and went to sleep dreaming of the tender kiss on my palm. I smiled wistfully. He had become my Kyoko.

I was brought back to reality upon the realization that Kyoko was still watching my face, waiting for her answer. I smiled down at her and released my hold on the teacup to cup her hands completely. "…No. No, you didn't."

Kyoko's visage lit up at my words, relief spreading. "Really?"

I felt my head nodding as the words slipped slowly out of my mouth. "It was…so stupid of me. I was angry at you for following your heart. I thought that you were stealing the love of my life," I chuckled lowly and smiled at my friend with the warmest grin I could manage. "And then, I realized you had found yours." I finished, suddenly proud of myself.

Kyoko smiled and clenched her hand still trapped in mine comfortingly. "I never, ever meant to take Tsuna from you…I would never hurt you like that on purpose…you know that right?"

"I do. Now anyway." I sighed. "Can you forgive a selfish girl like me?"

Kyoko giggled. "If Gokudera can somehow manage to love a selfish girl like you, I think I can too." She teased, making my face redden immediately.

I hid myself behind my fingers. "Oh stop it!" I giggled.

"How in the world did that happen anyway?"

I peeked out from one bent finger. "…You really wanna know?" I taunted, gaining the upper hand.

"Tell me, tell me!" She launched herself forward, positioning herself directly in front of me as I proceeded to tell her the story that had ran through my head for months on loop that had us collapsing on the ground in an eruption of giggles and squeals.

* * *

><p>Before I knew it, it was hours past my curfew and I ran down the concrete walk in the pitch dark to get home before my mother. My heart felt lighter than it had in weeks and it suddenly felt like everything was going right with my life. All thoughts of previous experiences flew out the window and I felt content.<p>

Granted, there had been bumps through the path even one today, I realized as I slowed to a light skip. Yamada Aiko was troublesome, and she certainly wasn't going to give up any prey of hers just yet, but I no longer cared. My face erupted into a smile as my thoughts traveled to Gokudera again, as though he were keeping me company even in the dark.

Forget what anyone else said. Gokudera was someone I could trust in, I was certain.

I pushed the wooden door open, squeaking it closed when I realized with a huff that my mother had already arrived. Her black sneakers had been tossed haphazardly onto the ground with mud spilling off the sides along with a trail of wet socks leading a path down the hall.

Dread coiled in my stomach, suddenly understanding the gravity of the situation. Quietly, I grabbed a towel and dabbed away the mess on the shiny leather and placed them neatly up against my shoes and bag. Then, in socked feet, I swept up the tossed socks with one hand before making the trek into the family room.

I could smell chocolate cake even from the end of the hallway, making my fear swirl more restlessly in my abdomen. There were only two reasons in the world a woman my mother's age would pull out a German chocolate cake mix out from the bare pantry. One, her adulterous husband left her for a woman half her age (Check) and two, she was fired from her job.

Sure enough, my mother was twirling around a long silver fork in a three layer chocolate cake absently, biting it now and then. Every bite added to her growing chocolate beard and I could almost see every skin blemish bound to appear in the morning popping up already. I almost didn't notice her muddy waitress uniform, torn in various places and the large red mark spreading across her cheek that made her wince with every chew.

I grabbed the ice pack sitting forlornly on the countertop beside her, dabbing it at her mark. She waved me off. The fork lifted a large piece of cake and icing from the plate, landing right in front of my face. "Want some?" My mother's tired voice asked, attempting a smile coming off as a before picture of straggled, crooked teeth destined for braces.

"No thanks." I wrinkled my nose. She shrugged uncaringly and stuck the brown mess in her mouth anyway. I grabbed a napkin. "What happened?" I asked astounded, swiping it around the corners of her mouth.

She swallowed and burped, making me cringe for a moment. "What else?" She asked wistfully, twirling the fork around in her fingers. "Some punk wanted something more than just the sake from me, I didn't let him, he pushes me down in the mud and smacks me, and I get fired for kicking him back. Funny old world, huh?" She sighed, brandishing her weapon at me playfully. "Well, where were we tonight huh?"

"I was at Kyoko's," I answered instantly. "Dropping off my yukata for Chrome to wear on Sunday."

My mom frowned, actually dropping her fork on the plate. "But I thought you were going. You were going to go with your friends, right?"

"Yeah, I'm still going."

"Then what are you going to wear?"

I shrugged. "I guess just some normal clothes. It's not that big of a deal."

Mom stood up then, brushed her lip off with her muddy forearm. "It's tradition!" She said sternly. "And I'm not going to have my daughter leave the house unless she outshines all of the other girls in her yukata."

I tried not to laugh at the brown mess still lingering at her chin. "M-mom, I don't need to outshine the other girls." I argued lamely, knowing it was a losing battle with her. "Half the girls don't wear yukatas anyway, so it's not that big of a deal."

"It is to me." She waved her arm at me, lifting a dying brown plant off the ornate chest she hid in the dining room. I begrudgingly walked over, careening my head to look over her shoulder. She unlocked the heavy rusted bolt and pulled it open. She lifted out a package of silvery white tissue paper wrapped in a neat pink bow and let the top slam shut.

Mom walked over to the kitchen table and began untying the knot eagerly. "I wore this when I was your age," She told me eagerly as the first layer of tissue came off. "It was my first time at the festival. Your grandparents weren't able to hold down a steady job for long, so we never stayed in one area for an extended period of time.

"I knew no one in the town and my homeroom teacher had helped me pick this out because my mother was always too busy working. Still, I walked around and I found the goldfish scooping." She looked up and grinned at me as another layer of silver was unwrapped. "You can better bet I outfished all the other girls there.

"Your father was manning the booth, and he was giving me directions under his breath." Mom giggled. "His boss told him to leave and he offered to walk around the festival with me. I was so happy to have someone keep me company that I instantly agreed." Her eyes trailed over the last sheet of paper and I knew I could see some traces of gold peeking out from the opaque paper. "…He told me that he thought goldfish suited me." Her fingers slowly ran over the paper as she slowly unfurled it. "…I think it'll suit you too."

It was rose pink. The kind of shade that I always thought was too bright enough to be considered pretty but made me think it would be beautiful on a model. My fingers reached out and began tracing tiny goldfish dunking their heads into golden seas adorning the sleeves and neckline. The obi was a beautiful shade of goldenrod that I knew would look beautiful on my mother with pink rose petals dancing along the trim.

My finger trailed along a bright red eyeball. "…Mom…it's so…beautiful."

She beamed, clasping her hand with mine. "So you'll wear it?"

"Of course!" I launched against her, ignoring the smell of mud and chocolate and smoke covering her neck. I shared even a secret smile...because Gokudera was definitely going to love me in pink.

Later that night, I cursed myself for even thinking of the man and his home-wrecker that I swore was never going to darken my thoughts again.


	4. Be Tender

**Again, thanks for all the reviews! I'm so happy, looking at all the reviews I get in my email ^^ You all make me soooo happy 3 So keep up the reviews! And now...Festival time!**

* * *

><p>I spent a majority of the weekend perched in front of my closet where my yukata hung, waiting eagerly for Sunday night to fall. At three thirty, I couldn't take the wait any longer and pulled it off the hanger and danced around in my socks with glee.<p>

Mom fussed over me for about half an hour before I grew fed up and told her I could dress myself. After ten more minutes of struggling and anguish, I cracked my bedroom door open and begged for her help. By six o'clock, I was finally grinning ear to ear over my pearly pink yukata and dancing in front of my reflection in the ornate mirror over my dresser.

I just pulled my hair back like normal, despite Mom's best protests. "Flaunt it!" She kept saying. "But be demure. And saucy! But innocent. And flirty!"

"But not too rambunctious, I know Mom." I huffed, pinning my bangs to the side of my head. Satisfied, I spun around to face her expectant face. "How do I look?"

She frowned slowly, making me nervous as the seconds ticked by. "It's still missing something…" she finally mumbled, her fingers absently running over the curve of her chin. She then snapped her fingers after a terse minute and ran out of the room in a flurry with no explanation.

I could hear a great deal of thumping and crashing sounding from her bedroom next door before she reemerged in my doorway, a large fake pink blossom cupped in her hands. She slipped it into my hair, the sateen stem tickling my ear. "There," she said with finality as she brushed an imaginary hair behind my ear lovingly. "Perfect!" She squeaked and kissed my cheek. Mom frowned again, her nose twitching slightly and I felt my face warm.

"…Haru?" She asked lightly.

"Yes Mom?" I answered dutifully, expecting the worst.

"…When did you borrow my perfume?"

* * *

><p>My heart stopped as a knock on the door came at exactly at 6:45 later that night. I froze, mid sweep for invisible fuzzes on my spotless outfit. I swept up my cloth bag from my bed and ran down the stairs, my geta tacking against the wooden steps like ticking. "No!" I screamed desperately on the next to last step before my mom's hand could touch the knob.<p>

She jumped, retracting her arm as I finally landed on the last step. I leapt in front of her and slammed myself against the doorframe. I took in several shaky, gasping breaths before I could manage to speak again. "It's…It's just the girls," I lied as my hand fiddled with the lock on the door, wiggling it open. I clenched my cloth bag close to my chest as I slowly twisted the knob open as quietly as I could. "I promised them I'd be ready…so we're just gonna go ahead and go, I'll see you later, love you, have a good night, bye!" I sputtered in one breath, wrenching the door open and zooming through before my mom could interject further. I closed it just as quickly before I slumped against the wood, embarrassed and exhausted from the effort.

A low, smooth chuckle wafted into my ears. "Your little exit there wasn't exactly ladylike y'know," The cool voice said teasingly. I could hear the smirk in the deep voice, egging my annoyance.

I rolled my head to growl at the voice. "Look, I don't really appreciate you showing up and scaring me and my mom to dea—" The anger froze in my throat as I looked over my shoulder and saw Gokudera for the first time in the lamplight.

He was casually dressed—well, as casual as Gokudera could possibly be—in neat black pants with his normal white studded silver belts but instead of a sloppy t-shirt depicting some sort of weird band or something related to a legendary monster, it was a clean and simple shirt that hugged his torso in an attractive way. With the light from the streetlamp illuminating his silvery hair slicked back against his head, he was almost ethereal in a black suit jacket with his hands casually thrown into his pockets.

He grinned pearly white teeth with my obvious comb over his outfit and ran a hand though his hair. "What do you think?" He practically purred in his smooth tenor. "I clean up good, huh?"

I nodded, words escaping me for a crazy minute. I pushed myself off the door and spent a quick minute readjusting myself back to the perfect self I had seen in the mirror before. I let out a breathy sigh before turning around to face Gokudera.

Gokudera's grin dropped and he staggered back, his mouth hung open.

I frowned and stepped forward, nervous. "What? D-Do I not look good or something?" I stammered, growing incredibly self-conscious in a matter of moments. My heart fluttered anxiously at the thought.

He shook his head vigorously, his hand covering his mouth. "N-no, it's not that, it's just…" He dropped his hand after a few seconds' silence and smiled warmly. He shrugged and pointed to my outfit, stuffing his hands back into his pockets. "…You look amazing." He flushed as he spoke, nervously looking away as usual.

My heart melted at the compliment and my cheeks burned at the sentiment. I shifted nervously and picked at a loose thread off my sleeve. "Thanks…" I mumbled sheepishly. "…You…look good too…"

He coughed and tensed his shoulders before removing his hands from his jacket and crossing them protectively in front of his chest, typical behavior of when he's nervous. "So uh…" he stuttered. "I uh…figured you wouldn't wanna ride the bike today because, you know… you don't wanna mess up your hair or…something…"

I nodded. "Yeah, that's a…good thought…"

"…So…" Gokudera grinned instead, dropping his shoulders. He stuck out his arm and offered it to me like a gentleman. "Shall we?"

I giggled and wrapped my arms around his elbow. "Yes."

* * *

><p>A quick stop to Kyoko's that lasted fifteen more minutes than planned and our large group was on its way to the festival. Kyoko easily stood out amongst the group in her pale orange yukata with large sunbeams covering her torso and a large orange and red blossom barrette decorating her hair. Tsuna walked Kyoko down the street lovingly, unable to tear his eyes off her and kissed her cheek once at the crosswalk when it seemed her couldn't help himself anymore.<p>

Hana stood out next to her in her pale canary yellow yukata with bright red tsubakis adorning her sleeves and her dark locks. Ryohei kept one arm around her middle, chattering excitedly about how extremely enthused he was about the foods he couldn't wait to eat. Though, I saw when no one else seemed to be paying attention the boisterous senior steal a quick, sensual kiss that left Hana breathless and taken aback.

Chrome was glued to my side for the beginning part of the night, holding the sleeve of her powder blue and blackbird to her nose habitually and my black lacquer chopsticks firmly paced in a knot in the cowlick of her hair. At one point, Yamamoto took the sleeve covering her nose and clasped her pale hand firmly in his own, piercing her with a calm and loving gaze. And he refused to let her go for the rest of the night, keeping Chrome calmer than I had ever seen her be in our entire friendship.

And Gokudera grinned down at me from his place right at my other side, reminding me that I had a date for the first time in my life.

For the most part, the festival was just like all the other ones I had been to. The walkways were alight with colored lanterns and string lights that illuminated the clear sky that was already beginning to darken. People passed us by back and forth, and it made me dizzy to take in all the festival had to offer at once. The sights and smells seemed to be different nonetheless and I breathed it all in deeply, because for the first time I felt proud to be part of a group when in previous years I would spend alone or with my father. I would almost forget that I even came with a date and would accidentally look back and see Gokudera lagging behind us group of girls with the other boys. The memory would come back with a flash and I'd get hot and embarrassed all over again.

We ate cotton candy, drew lots, and played various carnival games until we were panting and heaving with excitement. The boys hung back behind us most of the night, holding anything us girls bought or occasionally joining us for a game or two (Yamamoto cleared out the throwing stall and gave Chrome a large stuffed puppy before giving everything else back to the crying manager while Ryohei screeched out the other competitors for the karaoke tournament before the manager handed him the first prize to get him to leave).

After a while, Tsuna looked up at the sky and announced "It's getting pretty late. They're probably gonna start the fireworks in a while."

Gokudera nodded, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. "Miura and I can go find a spot boss."

"Thanks Gokudera," Tsuna said cheerily, turning back to Kyoko. "Shall we get some ramune for everyone?"

"Oh and Takoyaki!" I added eagerly, making Gokudera chuckle lowly in response.

Everyone dispersed, Ryohei and Hana to check out some more of the games and Yamamoto and Chrome to scope out the taiyaki stand. I watched Kyoko and Tsuna leave, that same funny feeling curling in my stomach as I watched Tsuna place a kiss on her palm before entwining their fingers.

I felt a warm hand on my shoulder and turned around. In the glowing lamplight, I could see the white teeth glinting in Gokudera's understanding smile. "C'mon," He urged softly, taking my hand and leading me down the way to riverbank.

The conversations that had overtaken the group before dissipated as Gokudera and I walked past the rows of stalls. People still milled about, playing the last rounds of several; games and picking away at the remains of snack carts while still others made their languid way back to their homes.

I snuck a look up at Gokudera, growing impatient with the minutes with nothing to do or say passing between us. His face was devoid of the soft emotions from earlier, his normal façade reappearing with people surrounding him with a sleazy hawkish eye. His hand was still loosely looped around mine that deterred many predators, though I grew obsessively nervous about whether it was from the fear of pinching my fingers too hard or from lack of interest.

My thoughts briefly touched the subject of his last girlfriend that he had offhandedly mentioned to me the week before, remembering that the relationship only lasted a few days before he grew tired of her attitude towards him.

My heart pounded at the thought. Was he already tired of me? Was he already dissatisfied by our lack of a relationship peppered with constant fights and yelling? Or maybe it was…just me?

My mind trailed back to kindergarten when a big, older boy had questioned if I was a robot or not. I had been trailing a stick though the ground, unemotionally drawing scribbled images from a television show I had watched earlier that morning. Every day that had been what I would do at recess, being the strange new girl who had moved into the neighborhood only some time before. I had had no friends and no one would talk to me unless forced, so I spent my days drawing figures in the sand.

At first, I was happy someone was actually talking to me. But after he had snatched away my stick and broke it over his knee, I began to cry from anger and hurt.

"No, you ain't a robot!" the boy had continued to sneer. "Robots are way more fun than you'll ever be!"  
>He left me standing in the dirt, crying from confusion and self-hate. I had vowed then and there that I would never be boring and unwanted again. I would be different, and stand out. And one day, I would find someone who knew about all that and would love who I was no matter what.<p>

Now, however, I felt just as upset like I had been all those years ago. Maybe I had slipped up and let Gokudera realize I was normal. Did he hate what he saw now that he had seen more of the real me than the one he had come to expect? Did he think me just like any other stuck up teenage girl who only cared about fine clothes and fishing for good-looking members of the opposite sex?

I bit my lip, debating what I should do next. For many years to come, I would regret what I did next.

I wrenched my hand away. "Would you say something already?" I snapped, not bothering to keep my voice down.

My sudden outburst had Gokudera whirl on me in shock and surprise. "What?" He demanded, not bothering to hide his annoyance. "What the hell did I do?"

"Well, if you don't say anything to me for most of the night and expect me to stay in a good mood, you're wrong there buster!"

"'Buster'?" Gokudera replied, wrinkling his nose in surprise.

I went on, "I seriously don't know what your problem is! You say you like me and then don't do or say anything that makes me think you do!"

"Who says buster?" He grumbled in response, sounding confused than offended.

The reasons why I was saying these things flew from my mind as I searched for anything to say to spur the argument on and get him angry. Suddenly, the perfect words floated to my mind that I knew would make him spit fire in rage. "And I swear! You would absolutely love it if girls flocked to you! Except they're too busy being threatened by your psycho stalker!"

Gokudera frowned and became dangerously angry. I gulped, only seeing him this furious on a small number of occasions. "Now wait a minute," he growled menacingly. "Number one, you haven't said much to me the whole night either. Number two, I do and say plenty that should be obvious to anyone with enough common sense to know how I feel and you do not get the right to comment on my past relationships when yours have been nonexistent." He huffed and crossed his arms mockingly. "And maybe now I see why." He joked smugly.

I'll admit, the last part stung, making my lip jut out to keep from breaking down into tears. But I had gotten what I wanted. I had gotten him angry enough to spark a fight. Whether it would end our relationship or not still remained uncertain.

Our argument had obviously caused a scene, drawing a crowd of a few too obviously hopeful girls and snickering boys looking on in amusement. Gokudera seemed to immediate qualm the steam coming out of his ears and instead glared at me with a warning in his eyes.

"...Why are you always trying to stir me up?" he grumbled low enough for me to hear before stomping off in a huff, disappearing into the maze of stalls and leaving me behind.

Yes, I had gotten what I wanted. I tested him...and he had failed. Just like I had assumed he would do in the end.

* * *

><p>I lamely began walking around the various stands, thinking over the conversations competing in my head and wondering if they were really as necessary as I thought. I mean, I had already come to terms with the fact that I was obviously developing feelings for Gokudera. Why did I feel the need to test every relationship for strength? Apparently it was important to me.<p>

My dad had always taught me to let the boy chase me and let him work for my affections. When he left to chase after some woman half his age, I decided his wisdom no longer applied to me in any case if he couldn't even follow his own advice. When no man came my way, I chased after the first boy who seemed decent enough for me to trust that would not run away from my flamboyant antics.

And then…I scared him away.

Men always seem flaky to me, even the nice ones.

Before I had known it, my feet had led me to the goldfish scooping stand. The poor stand had gotten so few customers that I could actually see trash piling up along the walkway to the entrance. My heart went out to the desolate atmosphere surrounding the place, the smell of desperation and disappointment hung thickly around the establishment. Off to the side, I could see one obese boy struggling with his cracked and broken poi, huffing and grumbling to himself whenever a fish slipped away from his grasp.

Finally, he threw down the toy and stomped away, sweeping up his cluster of balloons and snack boxes. The owner in a brightly colored pinstripe suit and straw hat slouched further in his chair and huffed sadly. "Well that's it…" He sputtered pathetically. "That was our last customer tonight and even he ran away without paying. We'll never make the quota at this rate."

I edged forward, taking pity on their endeavors and the memory of Mom's story fresh in my mind. Maybe I was hopeful? "Um…do you mind if I try?" I squeaked, uncharacteristically shy for a moment.

The owner brightened for the slightest moment before nodding. "We have plenty of fish for you to catch Miss," he assured me. "And I guarantee they aren't going to go anywhere soon."

I giggled and followed him to the back. I gasped at the great amount of goldfish swimming around in circles in the large tubs and giggled as several swam up to meet my finger as it grazed the water. It made ripples, sending the fish across their ocean in different directions before slowly moving back into their open spaces.

The owner gave the signal to start and I dug the poi into the water, scattering more fish away. I swatted at the fish, scaring them more than actually scooping any into my bowl. I grew more and more frustrated until my poi broke completely in the water. I slumped back onto my feet in a huff, dejected.

"Don't give up yet Stupid Woman."

The normally condescending term had me sit up straighter and whirl around. The joking voice did in fact belong to Gokudera. He smiled his trademark grin that I grew to expect from him before it disappeared from guilt and shame. He asked for another poi and placed one in my hands. He grabbed my hands from behind and when the signal to start came, he guided my hand and dipped the poi into the water.

He kept it deathly still, waiting until one daring fish swam up to its side. Before it could get away, Gokudera twitched my wrist and effectively captured the surprised goldfish. As I cheered in happiness, he plopped the fish into our bowl and continued dipping the poi into the water. After catching four more, our poi snapped in half and fell to the bottom of the tank.

I laughed excitedly as the owner eagerly tied up the four small goldfish into a plastic bag. Gokudera took it and paid for the game. I saw out of the corner of my eye that a 1000 yen note happened to slip out of his wallet onto the ground in a flutter. The owner thanked him profusely before Gokudera turned back to me.

He held out the bag to me and I took it. We were silent for a long moment before he spoke again. "…I've been thinking…" He mumbled. "I've been thinking…that I have no idea just how I offended you. I would've blamed you in the past, but…but I know that's not how it goes. So…please, just tell me what I did wrong."

"I.."

"If you just tell me then I will go to great lengths not to let it happen again." Gokudera shrugged dramatically, taking my hand in his own. "I know I'm not perfect. Anyone who knows me will tell you that. But I've been living this way for a while so I think I know best and don't know when exactly I do screw up. So tell me if I do something wrong so that I can learn from it—"

"It's not you, alright?" I interrupted before he could go any further. The familiar knot was back but instead I felt guilty, not jealous. I hated this feeling more.

"…Then…what is it?" He asked slowly.

I looked up into Gokudera's eyes, ready to give some spiel that would effectively silence him for the rest of the night. And instead, I saw genuine interest. The look in his eyes took my breath away like I never thought he could. I felt my knees buckle slightly and I clutched my bag of fish tighter until my knuckles turned white. I looked down to the swirling fish, anything that would keep me away from his gaze.

But sure enough, I quickly saw his green eyes reflecting in their fluorescent scales. My eyes nervously rose up to meet his once more. My breath hitched when I realized he was nearly inches away from my nose.

His hand rose and I closed my eyes, expecting it to graze my hair. Instead, when I continued to feel nothing but air on my scalp, I opened them again. He had stepped away, widening the distance between us and holding out his hand to me.

"I get it now..." He murmured. "You tried to test me, and I almost fell for it." He smiled another rare but slightly sad grin. "But you can't get rid of me that easily Miura. I told you that once already. I'll just duct tape my mouth so I can't stick my foot in it all the time."

* * *

><p>Everyone had chosen their spot for the fireworks already. Gokudera wove me around the various crowded members positioned along the west side of the riverbank before leading me to the familiar red and white checkered blanket spread out along the dirt. He had picked a great view, spreading it large enough for our little crowd against the grass, though none of them were present as I sat down.<p>

"Where's everyone?" I asked as Gokudera plopped himself down next to me.

"Hell if I know," He answered shaking his head in annoyance. "Baseball Freak is probably off with Dokuro still. And Turf Head went off with Kurokawa in tow when they saw there was a sumo tournament." He sighed. "And I think Boss took Sasagawa home. She didn't look so good after Boss got into a fight with some drunks."

My ears perked up at the mention of a fight. "…Did Tsuna get hurt?"

"A little. Just a punch to the mouth is all. But it did look a little purple at one point. She probably got nervous then."

I turned back to the darkened sky, nervously watching it along with the rest of the crowd for some awkward minutes. "I understand that," I replied, thinking over all my memories of middle school. "I was definitely scared when you got hurt…"

"Me?" Gokudera laughed, sounding almost hopeful.

I giggled. "I meant you as in the boys in general but if you want to think that way, fine." My smile wilted slowly as I went on. "…I'm sorry about what I said earlier."

"Me too." He turned back to the sky, hiding his embarrassment as usual. "I said some things that were uncalled for and I apologize. I thought I had had a better hand on my temper as of late, but I guess not. I still have a long way to go."

"Not too far if you ask me." I answered encouragingly. "I pushed you pretty hard." My mind drifted back with shame. "…I do see the sincerity in your actions, but I don't appreciate them as well as I should…can you forgive me?" I murmured, not even expecting him to hear.

Instead, he wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "I thought we had gotten the apologies out of the way already." He murmured, placing his chin on the top of my head. I relaxed and reclined against his chest.

It was then that I felt something move around on my scalp. It was hard but smooth and it slid to a stop right by my ear alongside my sateen rosette. I frowned and ran my fingers through my hair, searching as I spoke. "What's that?"

"A comb." He answered smugly, twirling one of my curls around his finger.

"What?" I whirled around in his lap, my fingers grazing the smooth wood gently. "Why?"

He chuckled. "Because you're worth it," he answered as if it were the simplest question in the world. "It cost me some money but…" He grinned and ran his hand over my cheek lovingly, unconsciously drawing me I closer to his form. "…You're worth every sen."

I blinked and my hand dropped. Slowly, my good mood returned with the simple compliment and I settled back against his shoulder. How we could go from tearing into each other to lovey dovey again was a shock to me, and I settled for entwining my fingers with his much larger ones. My head tiled back against his collarbone and I examined his fingernails absently.

"Thank you…Hayato." I murmured, so softly I was afraid he actually wouldn't hear me.

I felt him stiffen against me, and I thought for another minute I had offended him. But the next moment he turned to face me, his face pleasantly surprised. "Really?" He chuckled, grinning in spite of himself. "I thought you didn't want to go to that level yet. Remember? Sex in the closet?"

"I deleted that story, thank you very much," I snapped back playfully. I sat up again and turned around to face him. "And…I realize that stuff isn't important. You…you're what's important after all."

He chuckled, swiping a bang away from my face. "Finally…" he murmured lowly, making me suspicious. "You figured it out…" He began leaning down in closer to my lips.

I was frozen until I could feel the orangey tingle of nicotine of his breath hitting my face. The familiar feeling woke me up from my temporary brain dead moment. I then snapped back to my senses and I managed to sputter out before his lips touched mine "Are…are we going to kiss now?"

He suppressed a low chuckle. "Yes...Is that a problem?" He held his position just above my lips as he awaited my answer, tempting me like crazy.

I sucked in a breath as I answered confidently "…No."

One last grin was the last thing I saw before those tempting lips edged closer to mine. My eyes automatically slipped shut and then, I felt something warm caress my mouth.

My first kiss started with a bang. Literally. Apparently, as our lips met the fireworks started off and the shouts of surprise were covered up by the cries of joy at the show. But I didn't hear anything, not even the booming or thundering of the pyrotechnics. My ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton, or that the world had its mute button pressed

Gokudera's lips tingled against my own, like his lightning quick remarks. It electrified my mouth, sending shivers running along my skin like shockwaves. They were soft and plump and moved against mine tenderly, like I always imagined my perfect man would do. It sucked up the breath from lungs and I felt weightless. My body responded instantly, wrapping my arms around his shoulders as his hands wound around my back.

It was a long moment as we slowly pulled away, panting and dazed. I watched the fireworks as they were reflected in his pale eyes, letting my breath even out. After a while, he smiled again, haughty. "…I've been told I'm an excellent kisser." He bragged, bumping my nose. "How was that?"

I giggled and pretended to consider. "I think I may need another one to know for sure." I whispered back, my voice drowned out by the thundering booms.

He kissed me again before sighing in resignation. "As much as I do love kissing you," He growled. "I should probably go gather the idiots before they lose their way in the crowd for good."

I groaned as well. "Do you gotta?"

He grinned. "I'll come right back," He promised. He kissed my temple and stood. "And then I'll show you how great a kisser I am."

I giggled again. "I bet." Our hands swung in midair for a moment before our fingers loosened enough to let them fall away. My smile slowly wilted as I watched him disappear into the crowd, feeling that familiar feeling I got whenever I watched him go away somewhere. I settled into the blanket, still tasting his kiss on my lips.

My lips stretched into another smile, tasting the sweet feel of orange and the spice of nicotine as my tongue ran over my bottom lip. I sucked in another breath, the afterglow of such a milestone burning in my memory. I could see the image of him moving forward and capturing his lips with my own on a reel, replaying over and over in my mind until it almost infuriated me.

I remembered my mom telling me something important about the first kiss with a man.

"Having fun Miura?"

I froze, my eyes flying open at the sound of the familiar, chilling voice. I slowly turned around, seeing a few shadowy figures bent over my form. Another firework shot up into the sky and Aiko Yamada's furious face was illuminated by the sparkling colors, her teeth ground in distaste. Beside her seemed to be the forms of two, very burly looking men looking down on me with something indescribable burning in their beady eyes.

"Well then," I could hear Yamada sneer viciously. "I sure do hope that kiss was worth it." I could see her form bend over and another firework shot up in the sky. Her face was alighted again, merely inches away from mine. The burly figures were gone. "Because I don't think you'll get another one again." Her smile was twisted around canines, like she was some sort of human/animal that I had seen in cartoons.

When I felt the blow to the back of my head, I remembered how the shadowy figures beside her had disappeared. When I felt two sets of strong arms grab me around the middle hard enough to bruise, I remembered feeling a warm gush at the crown of my head. When I heard Yamada's shrill gleeful laugh float over my stopped up ears, I remembered that my mom told me that everything a girl needed to know about a guy was in his kiss.

I remembered thinking, One day, I could really end up falling for Gokudera as my vision went blurry and finally went black.


	5. Be Kind

**Okay! So this will be the last update for a while, and then I will go back to updating but monthly. If you want to check out when else I will update, feel free to visit my Deviant Art page as Kuro-Neko-Chan-007. **

**Once again, I just want to thank everyone for all the reviews I've gotten and those that I haven't replied to I apologize. I keep them housed in my email just to remind me that people like me ;) I'm vain like that. But I still appreciate each and every comment that I've gotten because they tell me I'm doing something right. I thank you all soooo much for that. And don't worry; the end is far from near. **

**So read, rate, review, and keep on your toes for the antagonist of the century: a girl's mother.**

* * *

><p>My nose tickled as the smell of rotten sewage roused me from unconsciousness. I kept my eyes closed as the aching feeling in my bones came back full force, giving me a majorly painful headache. My whole body felt like it was throbbing in time to my heartbeat and my arms felt like they had been pulled out of joint.<p>

Finally, I cracked open a lazy eye. I was startled to see filthy concrete walls and ceilings, darker with an ominous blue green hue from a flickering light from nowhere. Gratuitous graffiti covered every square of wall available, confusing me greatly from my previous recollections. My memory was roused as Yamada's evil grin filtered through my hazy mind. I remembered Gokudera and me kissing under the firework lights and him leaving to find our other friends. And then I remembered...I remembered...

"Wakey wakey Princess," a voice sneered from somewhere outside my line of vision.

I struggled to bring myself up to a semi-sitting position, hissing as my hands and wrists hit hard concrete. I looked down, surprised I was still wearing my—now smudged—pink yukata. My fingers then flew to my head, gingerly running over the knot growing in the back of my crown and bumping into smooth wood. I had lost the sateen rose somewhere in the journey from the festival grounds to wherever I was, but Gokudera's present had remained. I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Aiko stepped into my line of sight, looking as ominous as ever with her form blocking the only source of light. She towered over me like a dark giant in stylish clothes, with a light leather jacket and a short black skirt on her hips contrary to the traditional custom. I could see her perfect teeth glinting as though she was watching a show instead of me shivering in my light yukata.

"You are one hell of a minx, aren't you?" She sneered, biting her perfect red lip. "You snub me and then have the gall to kiss Gokudera. And during the firework show...hah!" She shook her head in disbelief, though she didn't look amused by the situation. "I try and play it nice and look at what you do. I don't know who the hell you think you are but…" She grinned at my crumpled form with a sickly pleasurable smile. "…You won't be forgetting after tonight. The other girls learned that lesson quickly, too."

Immediately, I felt two hands on the back of my head, yanking and pulling me backwards. I yelped and flinched, finding myself in the burly grasp of two grossly disproportional thugs. The one on my left leered at me with a disgusting stench visibly rolling from his mouth in a sickly green. He held my hair in a death grip with cracked, unfiled nails alongside the thug on my right. His eyebrow and lip protruded outwards in a permanent swell with numerous boils and pimples littering his nose and chin. I could see the lust in their eyes, but I couldn't decipher if it was for blood or something else.

Yamada then leaned down as well, snapping her fingers expectantly. The burly man on my right that I then nicknamed Toad-Face handed her something from his pocket and she flicked it open with a creepy click. I gasped upon realizing it was a pocketknife, shimmering in the low light like a scene from The Shining.

Yamada touched it to my neck, leaning in even closer. I could smell her cherry perfume and the green tea ice cream off her breath. The smells made my head swirl, and I felt dizzy in the men's firm grasp.

"The only way to keep a guy," she whispered vehemently, sliding the ice cold blade along my exposed neck. "Is to make sure there are no other girls to steal him away."

"Bi…tch…"

"Tut, tut Miura. Didn't your parents ever teach you language? Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot," She grinned even wider, if it were even possible. "Your dad left because he preferred some slut over your mom, right?"

The words cut me even deeper than the blade could. It took me back to days after my dad walked out. In a fit of one my mom's depressed episodes, she had managed to dial my dad's blackberry number. I had managed to get on the other line, listening on a separate phone as Mom begged and pleaded for him to reconsider, saying how much she missed him, how I needed my father, and how she loved him.

He had sighed lowly, and I could see him shaking his head over the line from wherever he was in the world. "Haruko, this isn't a good time. For god's sake, I don't love you anymore. And I'm done pretending that I am."

I could only sit there, shell-shocked with my hand covering the speaker as my mom went on another tangent, asking him to come back. This conversation had only served to fuel my anger for my father and my mother never mentioned it to me. Though every once in a while, I would see her cradling the phone in her hands, obviously debating on whether to dial the number or not.

I often wondered, would Gokudera be the kind of guy who would come back for me if I begged enough?

* * *

><p>Yamada seemed to take my silent moment of pensiveness as a sign of me giving up, because she moved the blade from my neck to my hair. It shredded instantly under its sharp touch.<p>

She stepped away, a large handful of my hair and the comb clenched in her hand triumphantly. "Hah!" She squealed delightedly. "What now, cunt?"

"Give it back!" I managed to sputter as I came to my senses.

Aiko shrugged and dropped the comb on the ground in front of me. But before I could wrench an arm free and grab it, Yamada's stiletto heel struck the comb, splintering it instantly. She laughed evilly at my frozen face before flipping her hair over her shoulder dismissively.

"Do it already," She commanded offhandedly. She spun around on her heel, waving dismissively as she clicked away. "I'm done with her now, she's all yours."

As soon as the order was given, I screamed as Toad-Face took a beefy hand and clamped it on my mouth. Troll-Breath took the opportunity to slip a greasy hand up my leg and under my yukata.

I continued to scream and writhe as the hands continued roaming over and under my clothes. Luckily, Mom's skilled obi skills gave the men no chance at exploring any further than my legs and part of my chest. At one point, I was pushed back as Troll-Breath groped my chest and I could feel Toad-Face's hard length pressed against my back.

I screamed again, though slowly losing breath as the hand continued to restrict my airway.

Finally, against my will, my eyelids fluttered closed.

Suddenly, the hand on my thigh and chest vanished.

My eyes flew open just in time to see Troll-Breath being slammed up against a concrete column. Then, the hand on my mouth and stomach vanished and I whirled around to see Toad-Face fall flat on his deformed face from a blow to his head.

All of a sudden, a hand was extended in front of me. "You okay?"

My eyes slowly trailed up. I was immediately relieved to see Gokudera's concerned face looking down on me. "Oh thank god," I murmured hoarsely, coughing in the process.

Gokudera bent down and wrapped me in an embrace. I felt his ringed fingers run through my hair comfortingly as the smell of nicotine hit me harder than usual. I gave a strangled chuckle. "You smoked before you came to save me?"

"I smoke when I'm angry." He muttered into my shoulder. "Or scared like shit." He retreated back, looking me in the eyes. "You hurt anywhere?" He asked as he ran his hands over my shoulders and arms, checking for injuries.

I shook my head, my hair flopping into my eyes. I immediately remembered my unwanted haircut, reaching out to grab them anxiously. They sat in my palm, uneven and split in several places, making my heart sink at the image. "It's not too bad, is it?" I questioned, my fingers wrapping around the locks nervously.

Gokudera chuckled and shook his head. "Didn't I tell you?" He murmured, running his fingers through my hair. He tucked one strand behind my ear before whispering like he was revealing a secret "I have a huge thing for short-haired girls."

I gave another strangled chuckle, allowing Gokudera to press his lips to my forehead. He stood, extending his arm again to help pull me into a standing position. He wrapped an arm around my waist as I wobbled on my feet.

"Oh wait! My comb—"

"I'll buy you a new one," Gokudera offered, sidestepping the splintered mess and leading me away. "I only knocked those guys out for a little while; they should be coming to soon."

"How'd you even find me?"

"Yes Gokudera, how did you find us?"

My head spun as Yamada stepped out from behind another concrete pillar. She crossed her arms and glared at Gokudera with an expression I couldn't pinpoint.

Gokudera grinned. "Fat kid told me. Made me buy him a ton of Takoyaki before he would tell me. He must've had like four boxes and sucked 'em all up like a vacuum cleaner. Don't need to tell you he puked immediately afterwards too."

Yamada shrugged. "Doesn't matter. What matters is—"

"—What matters is you hurt Haru!" Gokudera snarled, his voice reaching a dangerous level. "And no one gets away with that, even if they are a girl!"

I had only ever heard his voice reach that level once when we had been walking home from school one day while his bike was in the shop. A punk with green and black hair and multiple piercings littering his face and ears stepped out of a dark alley and demanded that Gokudera fight him in revenge of his defeated gang.

Gokudera refused, saying he had better things to do than to make an idiot cry (I paraphrased).

The punk had growled lowly to himself before turning his attention to me with a suspicious eye. He smirked. "You mean like banging this slut? I didn't know you were into grade school chicks."

Before I could even interject my comeback, Gokudera's fist had connected with his face so hard that he caught his knuckles on his piercings. His knuckles were dripping red as the punk howled and fell over.

I frantically tried to wrap his hand in my scarf before it got infected but he wouldn't hear it. I finally managed to walk him away, calming him down with the promise of beef curry in the next day's lunch.

The punk then took his chance to run off, but didn't escape Gokudera's eye. The punk ducked as Gokudera tossed rock after rock at his retreating back. "Yeah, that's right, you better run!" He called after. "If I ever hear you talking smack about my girl again, I'll do more than just break your fucking jaw!"

* * *

><p>Yamada had seemed taken aback by Gokudera's anger. It was almost as if she was surprised his voice could reach that decibel, let alone let menacing words pointed in her direction.<p>

Her perfect looks were peeling again. Her hair was curling in greasy strands and even from a distance I could see the early signs of acne. I could hear the nose whistle as her eyes shrank into a crazy red frenzy.

"Wh..."She stuttered stupidly. "What did you say to me?"

"You heard me," Gokudera growled back. His arm swept behind back before going to his pocket. A whiff of nicotine flooded my nose when I realized that Gokudera had lit a cigarette and had it stuck in his lips.

And a long cylindrical tube of dynamite was poised in his fingers.

I gasped as Yamada shrieked in fear. My hands frantically went to his, holding him back as best I could. "Don't! Please, don't!" I begged. "She's not worth it!" Please!"

"I'll have a go at anyone that hurts you!" I heard him snarl back. "She'll never leave me or you alone unless I teach her that lesson!"

"Look at her!" I screeched, pointing at Yamada. She had fallen to the ground in the midst of her escape, breaking a tall stiletto in the process. Her crazy-eyed glare had morphed into one of pure terror and fear for her life. She shook on the concrete like a pitiful little bird, looking small and weak in comparison to her cool appearance from before. "Look at her and tell me she deserves to be blown up like a holiday balloon, huh?" I argued. "Tell me she's worth it!"

This thought seemed to shake Gokudera's motivation because the firepower in his hand went back to his pocket. A smoky sigh escaped his lips before flicking the white cigarette away. I crept up to his side, watching the bloodthirsty look slowly drain from his face.

"Fine," He muttered tiredly. "You and Boss somehow always know how to make me come back to my senses." Another puff of smoke escaped his lips before turning his attention to me.

I could see his eyes soften as his irises caught on the scraggly edges of my hair and my muddied and bloody face. His large hand touched my face tenderly before slipping behind my neck to pull me into his arms.

"Only for you," he murmured, kissing the side of my face while I wound my arms around to his back.

I swallowed hard as the thumping in his ribcage under my ear soothed my own erratic heartbeat. After several long minutes, I sneezed as the cool air seeped into my bones through my thin yukata. Gokudera chuckled in spite of himself and pulled away. "Cold?" He asked wryly, already knowing my answer.

I sniffed and nodded. I was rewarded with Gokudera's jacket slung onto my shoulders. I couldn't resist burying myself into the remaining body heat, enveloping my nose in the comforting smell of oranges and cigarettes.

Gokudera smiled down on me one last time before turning back to Yamada, who was now apparently trying to crawl away as silently as she could. "Oy."

Yamada froze, mid-crawl. Gokudera crossed his arms as Yamada turned around to meet his glaring eyes. "Get out of here," He barked. "Now. And if I see you around Haru again, well…" His eyes narrowed further in a violent green. "…I think you get the idea."

I watched the color drain from Yamada's face before she managed to scramble to her feet and running away. I giggled when I heard her yelp as she tripped over a hole in her stockings.

A warm hand touched my shoulder and a pair of lips kissed the shell of my ear. "Time to go home," The normally warm voice whispered. "I gotta get you warm so I can get my jacket back."

* * *

><p>"Alright sweetie, you're all set."<p>

The whoosh of cloth was familiar as it was quickly yanked off my neck. My hands immediately went to my hair, the unfamiliar feeling of less weight on my head strange. My eyes blinked as the form in the mirror in front of me blinked as well. But it was a form I didn't recognize. My head swiveled occasionally, surveying the visage from all the angles.

Early that morning, I woke up and quickly fixed my mother an easy breakfast before she awoke. I then walked the six block trek to the local hair salon down the street to correct the damage Yamada's knife had made to my hair.

Nita, the only barber who would actually be willing to open so early in the morning, gasped when she saw me. I hovered like a ghost on her shop mat, floating on spindly legs. Gokudera had walked me home and saw to my safety, but even he couldn't chase away the nightmares that plagued me for the rest of the night. By the time I had managed to shake them off to get some decent sleep, the alarm clock had roused me from any chance of slumber.

The image in the mirror still was laden with sleepy eyes, dark circles layered under their irises. But now, instead of a scraggly mess of mane and whatever gunk had knotted its way into my hair, the resulting appearance was that of a normal highschool girl with brunette bobbed hair. It bounced with movement and was straightened to a perfect line around my cheeks and earlobes. It felt light and airy and Nita had taken pity on my habit of pinning my hair back to slip two bejeweled pins by my temple.

"…Wow…" I mumbled, my fingers still winding in my tresses.

"You like it?" Perky Nita couldn't resist asking.

"It's…definitely an improvement from what it was before…" I slurred, still uncertain as to how I truly felt about my unwilling haircut.

"But…do you like it?"

I shrugged, deciding it wasn't worth hating. "It'll take some time for me to get used to it, but…yes, I do. Thank you Nita," I turned to my ruby-haired friend with a happy smile. "You're the best."

Nita grinned over her scarlet glasses and wrapped me in a rib-breaking hug. "Thank you sweetie!" She chirped, squeezing every bit of life she could from me. "Oh and don't worry about the money. It's on the house."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Just tell your friends who did your beautiful hair and we're square." She winked a brown eye at me before giving me one last squeeze.

I swept up my schoolbag and quickly left through the door. I had only a little while longer before I had to be at school and I was already pretty late compared to my usual route. Luckily for me, I had a ride that I didn't even know about.

Gokudera was lounged against his bike, waiting patiently for me outside the salon steps. I chuckled and danced down the steps to tackle him with a hug.

He chuckled and kissed my forehead as I pulled away. "Hey."

"Hi. What are you doing here?"

He shrugged and raked a hand through my short hair, appearing to like it. "Just thought you could use a ride."

"How'd you know I'd be here?"

"I had a feeling. I bet you didn't want to tell your mom about the haircut, so I figured you come here. I thought this was the only salon in town that would be open this early."

I chuckled. "That's right."

"Sooo…Wanna go on a date?"

I blinked, the sudden change in the conversation surprising me. "Wh-what?"

Gokudera grinned. "Do you wanna go on a date with me?"

I shook my head, smirking. "What, like right now?"

"Why not now?"

"Well for one thing, we have school."

"I think you've earned a day off."

"What makes you say that?"

"You didn't sleep well, did you?"

I faltered, sighing heavily. "…No. No, not really."

"Then let's do it."

I shook my head. "We'll be recognized."

"Not if we hide."

"Where to then?"

"I don't know…why do you want to go?"

"Well, let's see. Our first date rained on us, all consecutive dates have been lunch dates—which don't entirely count because it became part of our routine—and walking you to and from school. It doesn't entirely make up for that time, plus the fact you were kidnapped on our group date."

I giggled. "Alright, you have a point there. But where should we go?"

"Where do you want to go?"

I thought for a long moment before replying. "…The zoo. I want to go to the zoo."

* * *

><p>Hamilton was the Namimori Zoo's prized ape from America. My dad had taken me there when he first arrived, hoisting me onto his shoulders above all the other crowded masses to give me the best view possible of his appearance. I cheered the moment he entered his cage for the first time, spilling my vanilla ice cream all over myself.<p>

Hamilton had heard my shriek of disgust and sorrow, looking up from his perch on the large rock poised in the middle of his enclosure. He then jumped so high that he scaled his enclosure fence, climbing into the crowd and scattering them like there was a stampede. Before my dad could run away, Hamilton had stretched up and grabbed me by my neck and carried me to the nearby park bench.

He then proceeded to lick away the ice cream stain on my flower dress. I stopped crying when I noticed and giggled like mad when his tongue began tickling my sides.

The incident became famous, naming Hamilton as Hungry Hammy, the Cannibal, or just as the Hungry, Hungry Monkey. It was all over the news for weeks afterward and needless to say Hamilton got a new cage specifically designed to meet his…talents.

I hadn't been to the zoo since, my dad preferring to work and sleep with his girlfriend than spend any more time with me. I went on occasion on school trips or just out with friends, but Hamilton had also grown old in years and was not as sporty as he once was. He would appear in the early mornings and late evenings and retreat into his indoor housing the other part of the time.

I immediately dragged Gokudera to Hamilton's cage, eager to see him again before he disappeared into his cave. We were lucky in that the place wasn't crowded, only with a few mothers and their children and several milling teenagers.

I stood on the railing, straining to see into the enclosure. The grass was bare and the trees were worn with Hamilton's continued climbing on them. Several minutes passed and just when I had begun to lose hope, an elderly woman trainer opened the employee entrance with a bucket of food and some balls and other toys on hand. She whistled loudly, dropping her cargo onto the ground beside her feet.

Immediately, I heard a rustling and Hamilton's furry black body dropped from the tree branches high above the enclosure onto the ground below. He then lumbered slowly over to the elderly woman, taking the banana from her outstretched hand. Hamilton then collapsed onto his haunches and began to chew on the fruit pensively.

Suddenly, his nose lifted and he pulled himself back to his feet. He shuffled over to the furthest edge of his cage and looked up at me.

"Oh!" I exclaimed excitedly. "He remembers me!"

"Remembers you?" Gokudera asked curiously, coming up behind me.

"A few years ago Hamilton licked some ice cream off my shirt after escaping from his cage," I explained, leaning over to see him better. I felt Gokudera's hand go to my back, keeping me balanced and from falling in. "It was one of the best moments of my life. It was one of the last things my dad and I did together."

"…Really?" I could hear the frown in Gokudera's voice, but I ignored it.

"At that time I had a teddy bear named Hamilton. The zoo was so impressed by how attached he was to me that they agreed to let me name him. I named him after my bear and he became known as Hungry Hammy. After that, he sort of fell into a depression and people lost interest." My eyes grew distant as I watched Hamilton coo lightly from below, his fingers outstretched. "I didn't get to see him much either. Sometimes I think it was my fault."

I could hear Gokudera chuckling and shaking his head behind me. "Now that is not true. All the greatest celebrities fall into depression."

I giggled and turned back around, leaning against the support beam for the enclosure. "Thanks. I mean it."

"Anytime. I love cheering you up."

"No, no, I mean bringing me here. I really appreciate it. This place…I dunno, it makes me feel at home. Hamilton makes me feel like I'm a kid again. And thank you for the date."

Gokudera took up his position beside me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "I felt bad about letting you get hurt last night, so I thought today would be a good time to…y'know, chill out. Relax. Calm down I guess."

"Well I appreciate the gesture." I smiled into his shoulder, watching another couple walk by. They kissed and gripped each other's hands before taking off in the direction of the jungle cats. "…What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Do you have a special place that helps you feel better?"

"Anywhere you are."

I scoffed. "Besides that."

Gokudera laughed and looked away, staring into space. "…I'd have to say…the music room in my home in Italy while I was growing up."

"Really?" I was always interested to learn about Italy. Ever since I had learned about the truth about the guys' involvement in the mafia world, I stuck around to listen to stories about their travels. Over the years they had gone to and from overseas to the country, and I sat with stars in my eyes listening to their every word they brought back.

I was enthralled by the country that sipped coffee in coffeeshops and made their own pasta. That was home to various famous scientists and artists, and was a prominent figure in everyone's stories. Tsuna often talked about the closet he had gathered from the Milan branch, intriguing Kyoko with promises of fine clothes upon his return. Yamamoto talked about the food to Chrome, describing decadent desserts and pasta dishes that he attempted to recreate on a regular basis.

But Gokudera kept his knowledge to himself. I had found out only recently that he had grown up in Italy as a child, let alone anything involving his family. "Tell me about it," I pressed, tugging on his long sleeve.

He chuckled before staring off into space once again. "Hmm…well, it has an old grand piano that always had the one key three from the left that was always off. On the underside of the fall, I scratched out my initials there while I was bored during a lesson. The teacher got so mad when I did that that he attempted to hit me over the head with his baton. I ducked and he scratched the rim instead, leaving a long mark that I covered up with a marker."

"What else?" I asked excitedly.

"Well, there was a tall fern growing in the large window that overlooked the gardens. And…a red leather loveseat that I loved to sit and read and do homework on."

"What else?"

"Um…"Gokudera scratched his head, and I could see the beginnings of a blush growing on his stern face. "W-well, that's it really. I mean, no one else used the room except for lessons. I spent a majority of my life in it."

I frowned. "…How come?"

Gokudera laughed hollowly. "Let's just say no one wanted to be around a half breed."

"…What do you mean?"

Gokudera sighed and brushed a hand through his hair, silently thinking. Finally, he asked. "Do you know what happens to a child born out of wedlock and fathered by a mafia member?"

"…Not…not really…"

"I'd be surprised if you actually did. The answer will surprise you: not a damn thing. It's an unspoken that is never discussed in public. And it doesn't help if the child is a half breed bastard offspring from someone high up in the family."

I kept silent, figuring there was more to the story than he seemed to let on. And I was right. I could see Gokudera's face pulling back into a vicious growl as he spoke from the heart. I waited until he had cooled down somewhat before gently asking "Is that what happened with you?"

Gokudera sighed again before responding. "I was born to another woman that wasn't my father's wife. She was half-Japanese and a rising pianist who was popular in many of the Italian states. He apparently he went to one of her concerts in the city and developed a relationship.

"And not two months later, she discovered she was pregnant. It didn't take too long to notice that the white roses and the late night visits were more than just friendly. And supposedly, when I was born, she had me for all of three hours before certain individuals wrenched me away from her.

"It was publicly announced that my dad's wife was my real mother and I was raised as the perfect little rich boy without a care in the world. I soon became interested in the piano after a woman I met inspired me and my father asked for a tutor. He was my best supporter, though I never really knew why. And that woman visited every birthday up until I was three and she never showed up.

"It wasn't until five years later that I heard some maids talking. It turns out, that woman…was my mother."

"The woman who inspired you to play piano?"

"Yeah…" Gokudera's eyes grew distant but a wry smile wormed its way back onto his face. "I thought she was just some woman who liked the piano. She told me I had soft hands," He murmured, rubbing his fingers as he spoke. "That they were good for playing. I studied hard for years, to impress her and make her proud of me. And when I found out about her identity, I gave it up." His eyes focused enough to glance at his rough hand pensively. "It hurt too much to even think of playing."

"…Why?"

Gokudera heaved a sigh and tossed his head back. "Coping with death I guess. But it did help me be a better fighter. Because no one wanted me in their family, it made me work harder to be someone powerful. It just so happened dynamite was the best medium for that."

"But to give up something you love, just because it bothers you—"

"You did that too, right?" Gokudera parroted back. "You tried to run away from your friends just because you were afraid of getting hurt again. And why you hated me in the beginning. Because a part of you didn't want to admit you liked me because it would mean acknowledging you didn't love Boss anymore. So you ran away from it because it bothered you."

"Say because a few more times?" I joked sourly, subtly warning him he was on dangerous grounds. When he quieted, I went on. "I admit, I acted stupidly. But I don't plan on making that mistake again. My friends are way more important to me now than ever before and I expect to be leaning on them a great deal from now on. And as for you," My hand reached out to wrap my arm around his appendage. I leaned against his shoulder as I spoke. "I know I'll make mistakes. But I'd like it if you would stay by my side until that point."

Gokudera chuckled, seemingly out of his depressed mood. He placed a hand over mine and laid his chin on top of my head with a grin. "Where else would I go?" He murmured quietly, running a calloused hand over my small knuckles.

* * *

><p>I don't understand Gokudera sometimes. Surprisingly after I had made a quick trip to the bathroom about an hour later, Gokudera announced that he had convinced Hamilton's trainer to let me into the enclosure to reunite with my friend. Within moments of stepping into the Monkey House, Hamilton lumbered over to me with a spring in his step that Aida, the elderly trainer, hadn't seen him do in years.<p>

He crawled up my form and kissed my cheek before leaning into a hug that lasted for ten minutes. I spent a few more glorious hours playing with a rowdy Hamilton before Gokudera whispered into my ear that we should leave before my mother would get suspicious. A tearful goodbye later, and we left the zoo in a flurry nearly escaping a zoo guard who had recognized our uniforms.

My mom was long gone before the call from the school came about my absence. I made up an excuse about being sick and they wished me well before they hung up. Mom had recently gotten a new job to make up for the one she lost at the bar. She had gotten a job as a custodian for a business building in the city, earning twice as much money as before, allowing her to quit her lousy job at the grocery store. She had been slowly getting better, spending spare minutes looking for something similar to her former profession and sent out resumes to every place she could find.

It seemed as we both got better, we both drifted apart. Lies had become easy to say and duties slipped to the wayside. I didn't worry anymore about tiptoeing around my mother's attitudes; I stomped on them. One night I came home to her sobbing over something like breaking her nail and instead of being sympathetic, I had rolled my eyes and walked away.

I spent the first night with Mom out of the house in my bedroom, looking through my textbooks. At some point, I realized that instead of working out a math problem in my notebook I had doodled Gokudera in the corner of the page. It took me two hours later to finish, decked with colors and various textures before I finally gave up on homework and flopped into bed with a huff.

It felt like I had just fallen asleep only to be awoken by something constantly rapping against my window. I had lain still for a moment, slightly dazed as to what exactly was happening before I heard it again.

I forced myself out of my bed to peer out the window. I sleepily rubbed my eyes as I registered the source of the sound.

I wasn't at all surprised to see my silver haired boyfriend. Gokudera waved goofily, waggling his ringed fingers at me from my house gate, stuffing his hands back into his jacket pockets shortly after gaining my attention. He mouthed something and I shook my head with a smile. I turned away from the window and swept up my housecoat from the foot of my bed. Dreams don't make house calls at 1:00 in the morning for no good reason after all.

* * *

><p>I didn't know what possessed Gokudera to come over to my house so early in the morning, but I decided to at least humor him. I pushed open the door and yanked the coat over my shoulders. I shivered in the cool summer night as I made my way over to Gokudera in bedroom slippers.<p>

He quickly shrugged off his leather jacket off his broad shoulders and laid it on mine. I eeped with delight, pressing my favorite jacket up against my nose. I breathed in my favorite scent of cigarette smoke and orange spice, making my head dizzy. God, I loved that smell.

I finally looked up at him with a playful grouch. "What are doing here at 1:15 in the morning?" I growled before allowing him to hug me.

He sighed and ran his fingers through my hair. "Couldn't sleep. Missed you. Do I really need a reason?"

I dug my chin into his chest snugly. "At 1:15 in the morning?" I asked again, teasing.

He growled, pinching my cheek and pulling. I smacked his hand away, playing along. We began a swatting fight for a few moments before Gokudera sobered. "I just…" He muttered. "…I told you a lot of stuff today and…"

"And…you don't want me telling anyone?"

"That's not it. I trust you. I know you wouldn't. I just…wanted to thank you…for being willing ton listen to me whine."

I snorted a laugh, rolling my eyes. "Like you don't listen to me whine all the time. This relationship can't be good if there's only one person taking all without giving anything back after all."

Gokudera chuckled and kissed my temple. I felt goose bumps rising over my skin as it did whenever his lips kissed me. He rubbed his nose against mine and I closed my eyes, allowing him to kiss me more deeply on the lips. I could taste the remnants of the wiener octopus I had made for our lunch and a mango soda we had both shared at the zoo on his tongue. I wound my arms around his neck, pulling him down closer.

I grinned when we finally pulled apart. "You are so lucky that my mom's not home."

He looked startled by this information. "She's not?" He asked, concerned.

"She started a new job yesterday. She doesn't get home until late."

His brow furrowed at this. He was silent for a long moment before speaking again. "…Well then, I guess I should let you go back to bed."

I whimpered, hugging his neck tighter, suddenly not wanting him to leave me. "Are you tired now?"

"Nah, I sleep too much in school that's my problem."

I looked up at him. "Why do you even go?" I playfully asked.

He shrugged.

I laughed. "…Then why don't you come in? It's gotta be better being with people than just sitting at home by yourself." I offered, pulling the coat tighter around my shoulders.

Gokudera quirked an eyebrow.

"Now don't you go getting your hopes up Mister. I'm not that kind of a girl you know. I meant...we could watch TV together or something. Now's a good time since Mom's out."

He smiled. "You sure? Being alone with a strange guy in your house—"

"—Not any stranger than usual." I argued back, grabbing his front. "C'mon," I urged, yanking on his shirt.

He grinned widely, allowing me to drag him into the house. He was obviously impressed with my forwardness. Heck, I was too. It had been such a long time since I had been so sure of such a decision. But there was not a doubt in my mind that I couldn't not trust Gokudera anymore.

Gokudera made me shrug off his jacket, substituting himself as my security blanket. We plopped down onto the lush couch in the main living area with my pillow and a blanket dragged from my bedroom. I eagerly dug into Gokudera's side after promising to call him Hayato for the rest of the night in exchange. He turned on an old black and white movie that I had never heard of that made me transfixed in a matter of moments.

Gokudera—Hayato—didn't say anything even though he had obviously seen it at least once. He kept his arm loosely wrapped around my shoulders, occasionally running his thumb along my skin. He tucked the blanket around me, shushing me into a relaxing position to sleep while his eyes were focused on the screen.

As the end of the movie approached, I felt my eyes drooping and as the credits rolled it felt like my head felt as heavy as lead. I struggled to keep myself awake even as Hayato flipped on a late night talk show.

Finally, when it felt like I couldn't take anymore I felt Hayato's voice in my ear. "Go to sleep." He ordered, shifting himself until my head rested on his chest. Oranges and nicotine swarmed my nose and I felt the warm lull of sleep. I still struggled to keep myself awake, only to give up when I felt Hayato's fingers running along the skin of my shoulders and back. He was stroking me to sleep.

My eyes grew heavy again and I finally closed them as I felt a pair of warm lips caress my temple. A final ruffle of my hair and I fell dead asleep, only vaguely aware of something warm wrapped around me in my slumber.

* * *

><p>"…ru…Haru…"<p>

I woke up groggy, my mom's face swimming in front of me. "…Mom?" I murmured, uncomprehending. Suddenly, last night clicked.

I launched upwards, whirling around. The pillow had been stuffed under my head and the TV was off. The smell of oranges and nicotine had all but vanished with the smell of my mom's vanilla scented perfume wafting through the air in its place. I had been swaddled in the blanket tightly, leaving me slightly sweaty and hot. There was no one else on the couch beside me.

I turned slowly to face my mom's confused gaze in her custodian uniform. Her keys were in her hands and she smelled like lemon cleaner fluid. "Uh…w-welcome home," I managed to stutter.

"…Thank you. Goodness Haru, you really didn't have to wait up for me, I told you that." Mom plopped her purse onto the table in front of me. She froze midair, sniffing the air around me. "Haru, you smell like smoke!" She said confusingly.

"Uh…j-just had a grilled cheese sandwich earlier…" I lied, rubbing my eye briefly. "You, uh…You-you didn't see anyone else in the house right?"

"No. Should I have?" She responded with a quirked brow.

"No! No, uh, um…I'm just uh…just gonna go to bed now…" I swept up my pillow and blanket and ran up the stairs as quick as I could before Mom could say anything. I ignored her poignant gaze, looking more upset than worried.

I closed the door to my bedroom behind me, sighing with relief. He didn't say goodbye. Tears began to well up in my eyes. I could understand why he was unwilling to wake me. The feelings of hurt and betrayal began to creep on me again, though I knew otherwise.

I knew I could trust Gokudera. There wasn't a doubt in my mind.

But I still wouldn't allow myself to trust guys.

I plopped my pillow back on the bed and unwrapped myself from my housecoat. I stomped out of my slippers and threw myself angrily on the bed.

I felt myself clutching my pillow, realizing it was wet. I swept my fist across my face, scrubbing it feverously. I fell back into the pillow, determined not to miss the smell of oranges and cigarettes even if it was like it was so close I could smell it.

…Wait a minute…

I launched up from the bed again, grasping my abused pillow. My hand bumped into something stiff within its case and I dug it in, hunting. My arm pulled out Gokudera's leather jacket, folded into a neat and perfect square with a pale white note that fell into my lap with a flutter.

I picked it up, swiping away another tear slipping down my cheek.

_**Goodnight Haru.**_

_**-H**_

After a long moment of staring blankly at the card, I let another tear fall.

And another one.

And then I smiled.

I neatly placed the card back into my pillow. I unfolded Gokudera's jacket and clutched it to my nose, immediately wrinkling it. Leather, orange spice, and cigarettes filled my nose as I fell against the mattress and drifted back to the edge of unconsciousness.

…Maybe it was more than just a little fling after all…


	6. Be Diligent

**Thank you all sooooo much for the wait! This chapter is dedicated to the birthday boy, Gokudera Hayato, and his little sneaky girlfriend. One note I would love to mention is how much I have appreciated all the faving and the comments on my page! I'm sorry if I haven't thanked you personally, but the fact that you all care so much means the world to me. And I'm going to work my butt off not to disappoint you all with a longer wait this time around. **

**Read, rate, and review! Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Do you really think this is good?"<p>

"Absolutely."

"Are you sure?"

"Definitely."

"It's not too weird?"

"No."

"Too girly?"

"No."

"…Too pricey?"

"For god's sake Hana, it's fine!" I groaned, my arms drooping from the various shopping bags hanging from my limbs. "We've been at this for hours! You're just buying him a birthday present! This is not a decision to buy the crown jewels or the Hope Diamond!"

Hana frowned over the large box in her hands. "Excuse me but I can't help it if I have a super active boyfriend who can't stop yelling at me what he wants. We can't all have a perfect, uninterested in anything, stoic guy like yours."

I rolled my eyes as Hana resumed rummaging through the sports bin. "Gokudera is not uninterested in anything! He loves anything supernatural and unusual! And me of course," I grinned, ruffling my hair pompously out of habit. "Just get him one of the forty million things you've already picked up and let's hurry and meet Kyoko and Chrome for lunch already!"

Hana glowered and put down the box with a huff as she continued to peruse the shelves. I rolled my eyes again and plopped myself into the cushy chair next to the dressing rooms. The stench of sports equipment and boy sweat spread through the whole store, making me sick to stomach. I had already picked out my present for the rambunctious boxer an hour ago while Hana continued to comb the boxing shelves, stuck on the decision to buy him one object over another.

I looked over my shoulder to the tall three-point mirror, catching a glimpse of my bobbed hair again for the four billionth time. It was one thing I could never get used to; passing by shop windows and being startled by the fact that another girl was wearing the exact same outfit, only to realize it was me. My friends complimented it frequently, and as of late had taken to braiding it into French braids with colorful beads and feathers as it had inched in growth from the beginning of the summer.

Months had passed and before I knew it, the weather had turned crisp again. But even the cool autumn breeze didn't cool off Gokudera's and my relationship. We were closer than ever. Because of the summer break, it had meant more time spent out on dates and meeting up with friends. We played at the beach, visited waterparks (both of which meant I got to admire him in a swimsuit and I felt certain that I caught him sneaking a few glances in my direction as well), and general outings to air-conditioned hangouts.

With my mom's new job, I began inviting Gokudera over to the house more often because he admitted once that he was nervous about me being home by myself without protection. We spent most of the nights obsessively watching documentaries about Loch Ness, ghosts, and demons. I often fell asleep in Gokudera's warm arms, after exhausting myself for hours before talking late into the night about anything that crossed our minds. It was the best summer I had had in years.

Hana finally approached me with monogrammed boxing gloves, satisfied that she had found the perfect present. We spent the rest of the afternoon lounging in the air conditioned utopia of our favorite lunch restaurant alongside Kyoko and Chrome. We giggled like mad about anything that entered into our conversation and only finally parted when my ride appeared to pick me up.

I waved my friends goodbye on the back of Gokudera's bike, cackling in delight and slight fear when the bike was reared up on one wheel as it sped away.

* * *

><p>"C'mon!" Nami wailed, bouncing up and down from her spot by my desk. "Just one little quote for the newspaper!"<p>

"No Nami, for the last time, I'm not telling you about Gokudera's and my relationship already!" I snapped, starting to get annoyed as I flipped though my textbook. "I'm not going to say anything that's going to have my picture set up for a Wanted poster by the Out-For-Blood club."

"But you've been together for sooo long! You're a hero to the other girls, I swear!"

"Yeah, those who don't want to chew on my bones and rip my hair out," I continued to mutter, turning another page on polynomial equations.

Nami slammed her hands down onto the desk. "At least tell me his favorite color!" She whined.

"Green." I immediately answered without thinking.

Nami blinked as I groaned my annoyance. She giggled and quickly scribbled away my answer on her notepad. "What about favorite animal?"

"That would be the Tsuchinoko; he's obsessed with that thing," Someone answered for me. I felt a shadow hovering over my shoulder as Nami quickly scribbled down the answer. I felt my heart leap into my throat with the sound of Tsuna's voice wafting over my hair as he continued with "Do you mind if I speak to Haru, Nami? We need to discuss something."

I almost groaned when Nami nodded quickly and ran off to squeal the new news she had received to her other fan club friends. I slowly turned around to face Tsuna, biting my lip as I did.

Tsuna had grown immensely over the years I'd known him. No longer the shy, pale kid at the back of the class as I had only seen in yearbooks, Tsuna had had a growth spurt mid-summer of our third middle school year. The extra seven inches that wasn't created by spiky hair gel made him extremely popular with the other boys and girls, especially since he now had the confidence to back it up. His body fat had leaned out over the course of his mafia training, leaving him more muscled than before and his limbs more suitable for sports.

He had gotten better at baseball and soccer, but he had put more strength into basketball as his new height had given him a better edge. He was perfect on the team, putting his new leadership practice and talent to new use. Whenever we could, everyone put down everything to come see him in the weekly basketball games, cheering when he managed to score a goal.

Tsuna's eyes didn't bug out as much as they used to, narrowing with age and wisdom. He wasn't as scared of everything as he used to be and he had gotten many more friends and admirers as the years had gone by. It made him a perfect catch with the girls, even the ones that had known him since he was young. But of course he still retained good friendships with Gokudera, Yamamoto, and Ryohei.

He had grown into the image of my daydreams, smiling the same way as he did without abandon.

* * *

><p>Tsuna pulled out the chair in front of me, spinning it around to face me face to face. He plopped himself down with the same grin residing on his face and leaned against his hand in that same way that made me adore him. "So…" He murmured in the low voice that had deepened in age. "Can I ask a few questions?"<p>

"Of…of course," I heard myself saying. "Wh-what do you want to know?"

"Well…" Tsuna sighed, tapping an un-manicured fingernail along my desktop pensively. "You see, Kyoko mentioned that Gokudera's birthday is coming up in a few weeks, am I right?"

"Yes, the uh…the ninth I believe."

"Well she and I thought, well I thought…" Tsuna mumbled, scratching his head while biting his lip. "Well…everyone is thinking about throwing him a party at my house this year…unless you guys had some special plans…"

I snorted a laugh. "Please. He hates mentioning his birthday. Let alone planning something to celebrate the fact that he—" I cut myself off, remembering to keep Gokudera's secret.

Tsuna smiled solemnly. "Yeah. I know what you're talking about. I wouldn't exactly want to remember that either…" He chuckled. "Well, Kyoko had the idea that if Gokudera thought it was your idea he might be more open to playing along for a day."

I laughed again and nodded. "Sure. Blame me for it all; I was thinking about what I should do for him anyway. God knows he's done a lot for me these past few months…"

Tsuna grinned wider. "Great!" He cheered. "Oh and uh…" Tsuna's smile softened again into something akin to approval. "…I'm glad you returned his feelings. He's…mellowed out a lot more since you two have been together."

I was surprised. "Really?"

Tsuna nodded. "Yeah. Remember? He used to be so uptight and would throw himself into everything, whether it was hating someone or protecting me. I'm just glad he has another reason to get up in the morning besides me. And don't get me wrong; I love the guy…just not like that."

I laughed again, the knot in my stomach slowly unwinding. It was a relief to be able to speak to Tsuna like normal without feeling guilty or ashamed. It was like old times.

We continued to chat for several more minutes about Kyoko's thoughts about the party until classes began. I spent the entirety of my math class planning out every finite detail of the upcoming party before being chewed out by the teacher for not paying attention once again.

Then the knowledge hit me: I had no idea what to get Gokudera for his birthday.

* * *

><p>As usual, I didn't allow myself to panic. I didn't have the time when I continually met Kyoko over the next few weeks to plan out the party. We poured over everything, leaving us entirely exhausted by the end of the day.<p>

At night would be the time that I would pace my room nervously, my brain aching from strain as I desperately tried to think of what present would be perfect for the one who seemed to have everything. However, my panic was short lived until Gokudera dropped by later on to protect me at midnight. I would spend the rest of the night my mind blissfully blank until the moment I was alone again. Only then did my panic return.

My worries didn't fully register until I waved goodbye to Kyoko the last day before Gokudera's birthday party. The worry then struck my stomach, twisting into knots worse than when I was five and had the stomach flu. In another flurry of panic, I grabbed my dusty, rusty bike from my garage and pedaled as fast I could attempt down into the city.

Namimori hadn't changed in over the course of my term living there. The same shops stood in the same places and except for the large shopping mall and the various residential buildings crowded around the tiny city, the only thing that had changed was the weather. The people usually milling about were already beginning to disappear into their homes, the late hour taking its toll.

As I pedaled past through the thinning crowds, I remembered walking these streets with my mother over the years. I knew each shop like the back of my hand; which store had the best deals, which ones had the best shoes, and especially which ones I could find the best presents for a certain weird-loving boyfriend of mine.

I stepped into my first choice store, immediately ruling out everything I picked up. Suddenly I had much more sympathy for Hana, knowing now how much she loved the loud mouth boxer if she had poured over her decisions as much as I was.

Torn between two likely options, I desperately began calling everyone I knew for help. Finally Chrome took pity on me after dialing Yamamoto in a fit of despair, promising to be there in minutes. She showed up shortly after, immediately recanting my possibilities as already purchased by more intelligent customers.

After two long hours, I was emotionally and physically drained. Nothing seemed to fit enough to give to Gokudera. I leaned against the counter, waiting as Chrome rung up her last minute purchases with the cheery cashier. My eyes drooped and glazed over as I stumbled out the shop door, ignoring the tinkling bell as it chimed behind me. I made a beeline for the open bench, plopping down instantly defeated and dour.

I felt terrible. Gokudera had been a huge relief to me over the past few months as I continued to review every bad episode in my life. The other day had been especially traumatic, running into Yamada for the first time in months. She glared at me with all the derision and distaste as she had so many days before, and only stopped and slunk away when Gokudera glared at her in warning.

He had grabbed my hand tightly instantly after she left. "Don't worry," He murmured comfortingly. "She learned her lesson. Her dad cut her off once he learned she kidnapped a young girl and hired two thugs to attack her out of his pocket."

"How'd he find out?" I had asked stupidly.

He had smirked at me knowingly, looking slightly devilish as he did. "The Vongola have ways," He had replied lowly in that tone of voice that told me not to ask about it anymore.

He had also been by my side when my father attempted to call me again for the first time in nearly a year. We had been lounging on the couch, worn out from the late night scare fest we went to and chattering about the movies we'd seen when the phone rang. I giggled and let it go to voicemail when it rang out "Haru?...It's me, Dad. Uh…I-I thought you'd be home since your mother's working…I guess not…a-anyway, just…call me back, alright? I've missed you, and I want to spend some time with you again…Alright…goodbye I guess." The machine clicked and it ended.

I guess I had looked pretty upset since Gokudera pulled me tighter against him and kissed my temple. "It's alright," he had murmured lowly before I collapsed into a sob. "It's alright…"

* * *

><p>I sighed again as Chrome came to sit next to me on the bench. The sunlight was disappearing behind the buildings, making the atmosphere just a little bit cooler. "I'm such a horrible girlfriend," I moaned pathetically. "Nearly a year together and I still don't know a thing about him."<p>

"I highly doubt that is true."

"Really?"

"Yes. I'm sure there is probably someone worse than you out there somewhere." She answered bluntly, with no ill intention in her voice.

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks a lot," I muttered bitterly.

Chrome fidgeted nervously. "How about instead…you simply tell Mr. Gokudera the truth? And give him a belated present that he will enjoy?"

I sighed again. "…I guess I have no other options, huh? Unless I say the party was my present, which is the lamest excuse ever considering it wasn't even my idea. Still, I guess it's better than nothing." I angrily scratched my head. "…Sorry for dragging you out Chrome."

"Not at all."

I smiled warmly as she stood to her feet, swinging her back over her shoulder. I then noticed a tinkling sound coming from her bag and a glint of light as it caught the late evening sunset. "Chrome…what is that?" I pointed to what seemed to be a bird made out of dark twine wearing a baby blue baseball uniform and helmet.

The girl brightened immediately. "Takeshi made it for me!...Okay, he had someone else make it for him," She relented at my dubious expression. She flipped the bird over and pointed out the words stitched on the back of the bird's uniform. "'Chrome's Charmers' is the name the team came up with as a joke once and it stuck. Takeshi picked out the costume and everything. Some of the girls in his class showed him how to do it."

I frowned. "Where did it come from exactly?"

Chrome pointed around the corner. "Around there I think. It's actually a very popular fad with the girls in our class. You decide what shape you want them to take and what their eyes and everything will look like. They provide a template and then you can decorate them how you want. Depending on how skilled at sewing you are, you can make them as complicated as you want.

"I made Takeshi one for our anniversary. Girls usually make them for their boyfriends and then you make one for yourself as a pair and…" She trailed off, suddenly seeing the pensive look growing on my face. She grinned. "…You have an idea now, don't you?"

"Oh yes…"

* * *

><p>"…And what is the layer of Earth under the crust called?"<p>

"Mantle. Made up of rock that is hot enough to move very slowly."

"And the layer under that?"

"The outer core and then the inner core. Made up mostly of nickel and iron."

"Correct." Gokudera snapped the textbook shut, sliding it away on the tabletop surface. "I think you'll be alright for this test next week. The test is pretty simple for this class. Either you know the subject or you don't."

"Why don't you just go to college already if you know everything?" I growled playfully.

"Then I wouldn't be here to help you, now would I?" He parroted back, a smirk in his voice.

"I suppose not."

He grinned and waved another large textbook in my face. "Time for your favorite."

"Ugh. Math." I groaned and slumped pathetically to the table. "Can't we just skip it again?"

"Nope. This next test is worth 30% of your grade." He frowned when he saw my blank look. "That means a lot…and that we have our work cut out for us." He pushed the black reading glasses on his nose back and flipped through the pages, searching.

I grinned and slouched against my couch. Gokudera and I were plopped in my living room, going over the week's notes in preparation for the looming tests. It was a special treat for me to be tutored by the smartest person in the class, and a nice change of pace. In my old middle school, I had always been singled out as the stupid one who was so focused on making ridiculous costumes that resulted in her failing half of her classes. My dad had always been the one to push my education to its limits without thinking about how it would affect me.

I had never fit in with those smart kids. The only useful purpose I served was designing and decorating the classroom for the annual school festivals. Those were usually the happiest times I had in that school, where my talents were praised instead of ridiculed.

All of Gokudera's and my class skipping and putting off the summer homework had taken its toll on my grades, and Gokudera said he would not take me out again until I managed to pull them up to an acceptable state.

And it was especially difficult, considering Math was my ultimate kryptonite.

My head slammed against the table. "Do we have to?"

"Yes. Now, percentages are easy to calculate if you know the formula. Simply put, if you put the number of the calculated in a solution over the entire calculated group—"

"What prescription are your glasses?" I murmured, staring at them intently as they glinted in the sunlight.

He sighed and looked at me tiredly. "You were the one who asked me for help Haru. Quit stalling already, we need to work."

"Who's stalling?" I murmured playfully, swiping his glasses off his face. I slipped them on. "I'm not stalling you. It's your birthday for crying out loud. Surely you don't want to be inside on a great day like this just because of me…Wow, you're blind!" I chirped, blinking my eyes incessantly to try and get used to the prescription.

Gokudera frowned. "What are you not telling me?" He asked curiously, dropping the textbook onto the table.

"Nothing!" I answered quickly, still blinking heavily.

"Nothing, nothing; you're hiding something." He continued to repeat.

"No I'm not."

"It doesn't have anything to do with my birthday, does it?"

I didn't answer, flipping the glasses over in my palm and pointedly ignoring his probing eyes.

He sighed in annoyance. "Haru, I told you I didn't want a party." Gokudera moaned in annoyance.

"I know, I know."

"I told you not to throw me one out of obligation."

"I know, again. I didn't."

He narrowed his eyes. "Promise?" He asked curiously.

"Promise." I smiled warmly in response, leaning in closer to the textbook. "C'mon, talk to me about percentages."

Gokudera still seemed dubious, but he snatched his glasses back from my face and turned to the open book. "Alright. Basically, you take the portion that you want to calculate out of the total number and multiply it by 100, you get the percentage. For example, if you divide 32 out of 45, you get…?"

"…0.711?"

"Right. Then multiply it by 100 and get…?"

"…71.1%"

"Correct."

"YAY!" I hollered. "Oh, but uh…can I ask you something else?"

"What's up?" Gokudera murmured, flipping through the pages again.

"Well…you know how I said I promised I wasn't throwing you a party?" I started.

Gokudera looked up. "…Yeah?" He asked slowly.

I grinned, his confused face priceless. "Well…I never promised I wasn't throwing you alone did I?"

Gokudera frowned. "Wh-what are you talking abou—AAAUGHHH!" He hollered as Yamamoto and Ryohei tackled him from behind their hiding spots in the hall closet. I cackled like mad as they pulled him up into a standing position and began dragging him out the door. He sputtered curses and yowls of incoherent anger as I trailed along behind.

"TURF-HEAD! BASEBALL FREAK! IF YOU TWO DON'T LET GO OF ME RIGHT NOW, I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL KILL YOUR ASSES IN A MATTER OF THREE SECONDS!" He continued to holler as they dragged him out into the street.

"Oh chill out Gokudera," Yamamoto coolly replied with a grin. "Tsuna and Haru put a lot of effort into this, don't disappoint them now."

I grinned as Gokudera shot me a dirty glare over his shoulder.

He did manage to wriggle an arm free and shoot the three of us the finger before being pushed through the door of the Sawada house to a ringing chorus of "SURPRISE!"

* * *

><p>The presents were doled out after a serving of cake and ice cream, and in the case of certain little ones several servings. Gokudera's attitude didn't dissipate for most of the night, except when I chastised him on it. After that, he developed a cool mentality—neither angry nor happy but civil nonetheless.<p>

He graciously accepted everyone's presents, though it didn't seem he was too thrilled with many of them. He had confessed to me once that since those big birthday parties in Italy that came with so many expensive and lavish gifts that he had never cared for that the idea of gift giving had lost its appeal over the years.

However, once we were outside and I had helped him load his presents into his apartment, I pulled him aside.

"I promise, this one'll be better." I promised eagerly, pulling out a gift bag from my pocket.

"You've made a lot of promises tonight." Gokudera remarked in annoyance I rifled through it.

"Yes, but I didn't mean half of them. This one I think you might like a little better. First, a gift card," I pulled out the aforementioned present and handed it to him. "So that you can get that subscription to that magazine you were telling me about last week."

He laughed lightly and took it. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

"Annnnnd," I continued, delving into the bag again. "It's a little girly, but I don't mind it if you don't."

He looked at me quizzically until I pulled out a small package wrapped up in maroon red tissue paper. He unrolled it slowly, letting the object land into his palm with a slight tinkle. His fingers uncurled from it, letting him examine it more closely.

It was a white twine rabbit, with large green button eyes that stared back at the un-blinking Gokudera with no fear. It was dressed in a neat little suit (one that had taken me most of the night to tailor and detail) with a single red flower on its lapel and little rolls of dynamite stuck to its belt. The chain rang as Gokudera gripped it in between his fingers and held it up in the air.

"…A rabbit?"

"Yep."

"…Who's a spy?"

"They didn't have a mafia guy, okay?" I protested back. "I made him look as best I could."

Gokudera shrugged and nodded. "True." He spun him around and grinned. "I'll call him Bond. Bunny Bond."

I giggled. "I have one too, see?" My hand went to my pocket, pulling out my cellphone and showing him my own keychain. Mine was a black twine cat with the same green button eyes in a silky red ninja suit with pink ear ribbons. She held a hockey stick in one paw and a helmet in the other.

Gokudera laughed. "Just like the first time?"

"Yep! And now we match."

Gokudera smirked. "You know…I've gotten a lot of gifts in my time, most of which that never meant anything to me more than an expression of distaste. But this," He held Bunny Bond up in the air, swirling the chain around his finger. "This is the best gift I have ever gotten. This means more to me than…anything really. I appreciate it." He strode over and kissed my forehead. "Thank you very much Haru."

I smiled, my face warming at the feel of his lips on my head. I lifted my arms and wrapped them around his thin neck and giggled as he pecked my forehead again and again. The sweet moment was disrupted when our key chains suddenly bumped together and there was a noticeable click as the two mouths met. We looked down.

"…I swear, I had no idea those two did that." I muttered with an airy laugh.

"It's okay." Gokudera ruffled my hair once more. "I'm just gonna put this guy on my wallet, right here where I won't lose him." I grinned as he slipped the ring onto the silver chain on his leather wallet.

"I'm glad you like it. I was seriously concerned on what to get you for the past few days." I admitted as we began the long trek back to my house.

"Even just the gift card would have been enough for me." Gokudera responded with a laugh.

"Yes, but they're so impersonal. They drive me crazy when I get them myself, so I normally give people whatever I would want."

"It's a good policy." Gokudera wrapped his arm around my shoulders, bumping into one of my long fake braids. "…Your hair's gotten really long. I like it."

"I thought you liked me with short hair."

"I did. But I also liked your long hair too."

"Yeah…But I'm thinking about cutting it again."

Gokudera quirked an eyebrow. "Really?" He inquired.

"Yeah. I've kinda liked it short. But maybe I'll leave it long for the winter and cut it again in the summer. What do you think?"

Gokudera chuckled. "I'm biased, remember? Short-haired girls drive me crazy." He leaned down; the same glimmer of something playful burning in his eyes.

I rolled my eyes. "What is your obsession with kissing me?"

"It's not an obsession. It's called desire," Gokudera purred, lips tentatively close to mine. "Is that a problem?"

I giggled. "Never." I tilted my head up to meet his soft ones, electricity sparking along my senses again driving me crazy in a way only he could do. I was never as happy as I was any other time without him.

"So…you must be Mr. Studydate."

We broke apart instantly as the sound of my mother's condescending voice floated over to our position on the street. My body froze when I realized how suddenly we had ended up in front of my house with my mother standing coolly on the doorstep.

The anger on her face was the most fearful thing I had ever seen, even more so that Yamada's leer.


End file.
